Florida fans will likely have to wait until next season to see freshman center Olivier Rioux, college basketball's tallest player at 7'9", play his first minutes, but that hasn't stopped the center from being a marvel during warmups.
Rioux, a Canada native, is in his first season at Florida. The current plan, according to head coach Todd Golden, is for him to redshirt this season, but he is present for the team's games— which makes for some incredible sights ahead of tip-off.
Before Wednesday night's 87-69 win against Virginia, Rioux showed just how close he is to being able to dunk without leaving the ground. While palming the ball with his feet flat on the ground, Rioux's standing reach allows him to put part of the ball over the rim, as shown in a video posted by Edger Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel.
Olivier Rioux warming up before #Gators visit from Virginia. pic.twitter.com/Okfu9o0Dj8
— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) December 4, 2024
Naturally, fans were taken with Rioux's incredible natural gifts.
The other kid pictured is 6’7”. https://t.co/qNT0x6uVog pic.twitter.com/F8Z2KxQobi
— tonyagolini (@tonyagolini) December 4, 2024
this is how I look playing on one of those little tikes basketball sets. https://t.co/JrZVjSVb3r
— EL MONO 🐵 (@kingzeek_) December 5, 2024
gators have their own Zach Edey/Tacko Fall
— Ben (@Benmecha) December 5, 2024
in the pipeline just makes this season EVEN BETTER https://t.co/aHllUk7R5L
This is totally how I stretch when I ball at the YMCA too https://t.co/bbEAVB8eMR pic.twitter.com/iPGcIuFJp2
— Triangle Gator (@TriangleGator) December 4, 2024
Golden outlined the redshirt plan following a game earlier this season, after Florida fans chanted for "Oli" to get into the end of a blowout win.
"Honestly, it's put him in a tough situation," he said, per ESPN. "He's sitting over there at the end of games and everybody's yelling at him and trying to get him out there. They just hadn't understood that that was our potential plan for him.
"So that's where we're at at this moment. I'm not saying that's 100% going to be the plan. We'll continue to talk to him and see if he changes what he wants to do. But as of right now, that's the plan that we're going to have with him as we move forward."
Golden says that Rioux has been receptive of the plan, and he's been in contact with the center's family and former coaches who are all in agreement about how his college career is being handled.
"He's a great kid, and he's a pleaser," said Golden. "He wants to do what others think is best for him. And he's coachable. Again, if this is what our staff, his parents, the people around him that care about him think is best, I think he's going to be comfortable. Ultimately, it's his decision. But I think that's where he'll land."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Video of Florida’s 7’9’’ Freshman Center Warming Up Had College Hoops Fans in Awe.
