"Golden relented with 2:09 to play and made history in the process after chants of We Want Ollie swept through the O'Connell Center. Rioux became the tallest person to ever play college basketball when he made his debut in a 104-64 victory over North Florida. Rioux, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman from Canada and the world's tallest teenager, drew so much attention from the Ospreys that he didn't even touch the ball."
"It felt great, Rioux said. The support from everybody was amazing, even on the bench and even the fans. I think everybody supported me. I'm very grateful. When asked about making history, Rioux quipped: It's another day, I guess. Rioux made everyone in attendance smile. Even North Florida forward Trey Cady smirked when he measured himself against Rioux. Cady was giving up more than a foot in the matchup."
"Rioux is two inches (five centimeters) taller than former NBA giants Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and three inches taller than popular big men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley. He already owned a spot in the Guinness record book when he signed with Florida in 2024. Golden gave Rioux the option of playing sparingly last season or taking a redshirt season and working on his game."
Olivier Rioux, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman from Canada and the world's tallest teenager at 7ft 9in, made his college basketball debut for Florida in a 104-64 win over North Florida. Todd Golden inserted Rioux with 2:09 remaining after fans chanted for his entry. Rioux did not touch the ball but drew substantial attention and applause, and opponents measured themselves against his height. Rioux is taller than several former NBA giants and already held a Guinness World Record. He previously redshirted to develop his game and remained patient despite limited playing time.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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