Latest news with #OlivierRioux
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Donald Trump dwarfed by 7-foot-9 college basketball player Olivier Rioux in the Oval Office
President Donald Trump marveled at Florida 's 7-foot-9 center Olivier Rioux on Wednesday as the Florida Gators visited the White House to celebrate their national championship. Rioux towered over Trump as they met in the Oval Office, with the President taking note of the 19-year-old's incredible height. To be that tall, I think it's great,' Trump said. As seen in a video from White House communications advisor Margo Martin, the pair then shook hands before they posed for a photo. Trump also asked if Rioux - who did not play in the Gators' national championship game win over Houston - was a good player, before someone off-camera said he was 'getting there.' The president then said of Rioux's height: 'Boy what a big advantage, huh?' President @realDonaldTrump meets Olivier Rioux, 7-foot-9 Florida Gators basketball player! 🏀🇺🇸 — Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) May 21, 2025 Rioux, who is also listed at 305 pounds on the Gators' roster, did not see the court this season as he took a redshirt season. The Quebec native supposedly stood at a massive 6-foot-1 by age eight, and 6-foot-11 by sixth grade. He watched from the bench on April 7 as Florida eked out a 65-63 win over Houston. Trump has welcomed a bevvy of sports champions since his return to office in January. The Super Bowl champion Eagles visited on April 28, with the Ohio State Buckeyes football team visiting a couple weeks prior on April 14. The Dodgers also visited earlier that month on April 7, with Trump even bestowing a gift to Shohei Ohtani. Trump has also invited the Chiefs to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl win in 2020, as they were unable to visit him due to the Covid pandemic.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
7-foot-9 Florida center Olivier Rioux goes viral after unique approach cutting down net
Even in a game of modern giants, University of Florida freshman Olivier Rioux stands tall. The Canadian center, now listed at 7-foot-9, caught college basketball fans' attention watching the Gators win the SEC Championship following the game when he stepped up to cut down a piece of the net. Where his peers and coaches used a ladder, Rioux stood on the floor, reaching up with a pair of scissors. Advertisement Known as the tallest teenager in the world, Rioux was cheered by the Florida-affiliated people who surrounded him as he got a piece of the twine. Watch here, courtesy of the SEC Network: Florida men's basketball beat Tennessee 86-77 to win the SEC championship on Sunday, finishing the season 30-4 and shifting its focus to March Madness. Rioux is redshirting this season, and when he plays next year, he will be the tallest in Div. I history, according to ESPN. He's long been the tallest player on the court. Take a look back at his growth and prep years: Olivier Rioux in school By the age of 8, Rioux was 6-foot-1 and playing basketball. He reached 6-foot-11 in sixth grade and hit the 7-foot mark in the summer before seventh grade. Much of his basketball education came under Pascal Jobin, who coached at Cégep Édouard Montpetit and McGill University, Rioux told USA TODAY High School Sports in December 2023. Advertisement Much of Rioux's high school experience came on the international stage, as he played in the 2021 FIBA U16 Americas Championship, 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup, 2023 U18 FIBE AmeriCup and 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup, according to his Florida bio. He played at IMG Academy, where he split time between the IMG Varsity Blue roster and the program's national team. Here are international stats listed on his Florida bio: 2021 FIBA U16 Americas Championship: 8.3 points and 10.3 rebounds over six games 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup: 2.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup: 3.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in five appearances 2023 U18 FIBA AmeriCup: 4.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, helping Canada win a bronze medal This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: Florida's 7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux doesn't need a ladder to cut down net
USA Today
08-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux didn't need a ladder to cut down Florida's nets
7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux didn't need a ladder to cut down Florida's nets Olivier Rioux is 7-foot-9, but because he was a freshman redshirt, he didn't play for the Florida Gators this season. Still, he's a national champion like the rest of his team after the March Madness win over Houston on Monday. And that meant the very, very, VERY tall (just ask Tracy Wolfson) got to cut down the nets with his teammates, as is the tradition. FLORIDA IS A CHAMPION ONCE AGAIN: Celebrate with this commemorative book But when you're 7-foot-9, you don't need a ladder to reach up and cut the nets with a pair of scissors. Check out the video and be in awe like we are of Rioux being tall: Wow.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux didn't need a ladder to cut down Florida's nets
Olivier Rioux is 7-foot-9, but because he was a freshman redshirt, he didn't play for the Florida Gators this season. Still, he's a national champion like the rest of his team after the March Madness win over Houston on Monday. And that meant the very, very, VERY tall (just ask Tracy Wolfson) got to cut down the nets with his teammates, as is the tradition. FLORIDA IS A CHAMPION ONCE AGAIN: But when you're 7-foot-9, you don't need a ladder to reach up and cut the nets with a pair of scissors. Check out the video and be in awe like we are of Rioux being tall: Florida's 7-foot-9 center Olivier Rioux did not need a ladder to cut down the nets after winning the national championship. — Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 8, 2025 No ladder, no problem for 7'9" Olivier Rioux 😭(via @YahooSports) — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 8, 2025 Wow. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Olivier Rioux cuts down Florida March Madness nets with no ladder
USA Today
05-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How tall is Olivier Rioux? Florida's tallest player also tallest in college basketball
How tall is Olivier Rioux? Florida's tallest player also tallest in college basketball Show Caption Hide Caption Duke, Florida, Auburn, Houston punch their ticket to the Final Four The madness continues as Mackenzie Salmon previews the Men's Final Four matchups, which will feature all No. 1 seeds for the first time since 2008. Sports Seriously Florida basketball is back in the Final Four of the men's NCAA Tournament for the first time in over a decade, and it's largely due to the production from Walter Clayton Jr., the Gators' All-American guard who was a Wooden Award finalist. And while Clayton Jr. finds himself in headlines and attention, and rightfully so, there has been another member of Florida's roster that has garnered just as much attention through March Madness: freshman forward Olivier Rioux. Since the Canadian forward is redshirting this season, his popularity has come from being a hard miss on the Gators' bench during the NCAA Tournament, as he is not just one of the tallest players on Florida's roster, but the entire country. REQUIRED READING: Florida vs Auburn live updates: Final Four score as Gators battle Tigers Florida currently trails No. 1 Auburn 46-38 at halftime in San Antonio at the time of this writing. If the Gators are able to come back in the second half, they will advance the national championship game for the first time since 2007, the same season that they beat Ohio State to become the then-seventh different program to win back-to-back national championship titles. Here's what you need to know about his height and more as Florida competes in the Final Four on Saturday: How tall is Olivier Rioux? Height of Florida basketball tallest player Rioux is listed at 7-foot-9 on Florida's official roster — five inches taller than former Purdue center Zach Edey. Per an ESPN story from November, Rioux is the tallest player in men's college basketball history. As noted on his Florida profile page, Rioux holds a Guinness World Record for the tallest teenager. By the time he entered seventh grade, the Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada native was already over 7 feet tall. Given his 7-foot-9 frame, Rioux did not need to step onto the Weber Ladder at the Chase Center following Florida's Elite Eight win over Texas Tech in the West Regional. 7'9" freshman Olivier Rioux didn't need a ladder to cut the net 😂 @GatorsMBK — SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 16, 2025 Tallest players in men's college basketball history Here's a list of the tallest players in the history of men's college basketball, per ESPN:
