In a historic moment for collegiate basketball, 19-year-old Canadian center Olivier Rioux of the Florida Gators has become the tallest player ever to score a basket in NCAA history. Standing at an extraordinary 7 feet 9 inches (2.36 meters), Rioux achieved this milestone with a powerful dunk during Wednesday’s decisive 102-61 victory against Saint Francis.
The monumental dunk marked Rioux’s first official field goal in college basketball, though he had previously scored a free throw against Merrimack on November 21st. The Canadian athlete had already made history last month when he became the tallest player ever to appear on a college basketball court.
Rioux’s exceptional height has been documented since adolescence. Guinness World Records recognized him as the world’s tallest teenager in 2021 when he measured 7 feet 5 inches (2.26 meters) at just 15 years old.
The basketball phenomenon’s unprecedented stature places him significantly above the NBA’s current tallest players. Should Rioux advance to professional basketball, he would surpass French sensation Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs (7’4″) and Memphis Grizzlies’ Zach Edey (7’3″) by several inches. Historically, only Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan—both standing at 7 feet 7 inches—would approach Rioux’s remarkable height among professional basketball players.