The world’s tallest teenager may have to wait a year to become the world’s tallest college basketball player.
Florida coach Todd Golden said Thursday that Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-4 freshman who has a spot in the Guinness record book, plans to redshirt. If the popular Canadian had played even one game, he would have burned one of his four seasons of college ineligibility.
Instead, Rioux will spend the 2024-25 season practicing with teammates and honing his skills — and still be a freshman next fall.
“I should have made that clear [before],” said Golden. “To be honest, it has put him in a difficult situation. He sits there at the end of games and everyone is yelling at him and trying to get him out. They just didn’t understand that this was our potential plan for him.
“So that’s where we are right now. I’m not saying this will 100% be the plan. We’ll keep talking to him and see if he changes what he wants to do. But from now on, that’s the plan we’ll have with him as we move forward.
Florida students sang “Oli” at both of the team’s home games this season. Golden cleared the bench in the closing minutes of an 86-62 win over Grambling State on Monday night and even said a few words to Rioux during the chaotic scene.
“I just explained to him, ‘Hey, the reason I’m not putting you in right now is what we’ve been talking about for a while,’” Golden said. “This was not a choice I made for him. This is something that people (from) our program have been talking to him and his family and his parents, his AAU coach, and just trying to figure out what the best route is for him.
“I just went up to him and said, ‘Hey, I’m not trying to be disrespectful to you. I’m just not trying to burn your year by holding you down for 30 seconds.’”
Rioux handled the decision well, Golden said.
“He’s a great kid, and he’s a joy,” Golden said. “He wants to do what others think is best for him. And he is coachable. Again, if this is what our staff, his parents and the people around him who care about him think is best, then I think he will be comfortable. Ultimately it’s his decision. But I think he will end up there.”