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UC Irvine has secured the tallest player in basketball history, 7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux, who transferred from Florida. Rioux, a rising sophomore, has three years of NCAA eligibility remaining.
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UC Irvine is adding the tallest player in both collegiate and professional basketball to its roster next season.
Former Florida center Olivier Rioux, who stands at 7-foot-9 and 305 pounds, announced that he committed to UC Irvine on Thursday. He is a rising sophomore with three more seasons of NCAA eligibility.
7’9” Sophomore center Olivier Rioux is Transfering to UC Irvine for next season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Z751EBcD20
— NCAA Buzzer Beaters & Game Winners (@NCAABuzzerBters) April 30, 2026
Rioux holds the official Kids Guinness World Record for tallest teenager. His father is 6-foot-8, his mother 6-foot-2 and his older brother is 6-foot-9.
“I wear size 20 shoes,” Rioux told ESPN in January. “I eat 5,000 to 6,000 calories every day.”
Rioux is joining the Anteaters with hopes of making a bigger impact on the court than he did with Florida. While playing for one of the top men’s basketball programs in the nation, Rioux averaged just 1.5 minutes across 11 games throughout the entire season.

Mar 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida Gators center Olivier Rioux (32) looks to pass in the second half against the Prairie View A&M Panthers during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
The tallest basketball player in history is Olivier Rioux, who stands at 7-foot-9.
Olivier Rioux is transferring to UC Irvine for the upcoming season.
Olivier Rioux has three more seasons of NCAA eligibility remaining.
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Transferring to UC Irvine will give Rioux a chance to get more playing time. UC Irvine coach Russell Turner has coached multiple tall centers such as 7-foot-6 center Mamadou N’Diaye, who holds the program record for blocked shots and was the Big West Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and 2016.
Rioux and the Anteaters will be looking to make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
Photo Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
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