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Florida center Olivier Rioux scores his first career college basket

IMG_6615by: Blake Alderman12/17/25Blake_Alderman

The No. 23-ranked Florida Gators improved to 7-4 on the season with a 102-61 beatdown over Saint Francis on Wednesday night. As the game approached the final buzzer, UF head coach Todd Golden gave his reserve players some time on the hardcourt. That allowed UF redshirt freshman center Olivier Rioux to record 1 minute in the game. During that time, Olivier Rioux scored his first career basket at the collegiate level, dunking the basketball in the final seconds of the game.

With that bucket, Olivier Rioux, who stands at 7-foot-9, made history as the tallest person ever to score a basket in a college basketball game. You can see footage of his bucket in the clip below

Olivier Rioux worked hard this offseason to improve in year 2

This past summer, Florida big man Olivier Rioux spent those months focused on improving his game. The Florida center spent May and June in his native Canada preparing for Team Canada’s Under-19 team camp. At that time, his agent, Peter Yannopoulos, said that Rioux made significant strides.

“He’s so much better than he was even six months ago,” Yannopoulos told Gators Online.

Rioux redshirted last season for the National Champion Gators to focus on development. He’s played sparingly so far this season. One of his main goals is to earn playing time this season. Another goal was to contribute to Team Canada in the U-19 World Championships.

“He’s been working out here (in Montreal) the last (four) weeks,” Yannopoulos said in June. “He’s got a trainer and is working out diligently every day. Getting better in his game development. He’s so much better than he was even six months ago. He’s working hard on both sides. We’re really working hard on his mobility, his agility, his 3-point shot—his offensive arsenal.

Yannopoulos is more than just Rioux’s agent. He’s a former college coach with over 30 years of experience in the game. That includes a stint on the staff at UMass. Lately, he’s been closely monitoring Rioux’s progress.

After taking a developmental redshirt in 2024-25 and working on the Gators’ scout team, UF head coach Todd Golden mentioned plans to play Rioux in his second year on campus. 

“I think he’ll be more of a factor,” Golden said ahead of the 2025-2026 season. “I’m not sure he’s a guy we’re going to throw it into him every time, but he can score the ball in the post. His hands have gone a lot better. His feel and just his comfort on the floor have gotten a lot better. So, he’s put in an incredibly good summer. He’s working.”