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10 hours ago
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Florida men's basketball is back in the Final Four for the first time in 11 seasons. And while the Gators are bursting with talent, there's one player in particular who has been noticeably absent.
At 7-9, freshman big Olivier Rioux is hard to miss on the floor. The Canadian national is used to the spotlight, having received the Guinness World Record for world's tallest teenager after sprouting to 7-5 as a 15-year old. Now 19, Rioux has fashioned himself into a captivating basketball prospect, landing a spot on Todd Golden's roster ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
Conventional wisdom would suggest that Florida should give Rioux — a former Real Madrid and Brookwood Elite pupil — every chance to take the floor and assert himself against the minnows (7-footers) who populate the collegiate game.
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That hasn't quite been the case so far, though. Through 30-something games, Rioux has yet to receive a single minute of play time.
So, what gives? Why isn't Rioux — teeming with physical gifts no other player in basketball can lay claim to — getting a chance to test his wits at the Division I level?
The Sporting News has the answer.
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Why isn't Olivier Rioux playing?
Rioux's towering frame makes him an anomaly. But contrary to popular belief, it might not be conducive to basketball success.
While Rioux looms over any and all players he'd match up with on the floor, his height makes it hard for him to move with any sort of real mobility. In a sport increasingly defined by spacing and athleticism, that's not a great sign.
There are a number of factors holding back Rioux as he attempts to climb up the basketball ladder. His lack of athleticism is one of his more glaring deficiencies — it's hard to imagine him faring well against twitchy talents like Khaman Maluach, Cooper Flagg or Joseph Tugler, for example.
He's also fairly raw. While Rioux does possess surprisingly soft hands and solid touch around the basket, his game is still relatively crude. He's not much of a shooter and doesn't have a wide array of post moves. There's a reason why the teenager joined the Gators as a preferred walk-on rather than a scholarship player despite garnering three-star billing, according to 247 Sports.
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Then, there's Florida's roster construction. While Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin power the Gators' offense from the backcourt, Florida is a long and athletic side. Nowhere is that more evident than in the paint, where youthful beanstalks Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh and Ruben Chinyelu have already established dominion.
Not including Rioux, Florida employs six players 6-9 or taller. Four of those players are underclassmen, further limiting Rioux's chances of getting into games. For a side with national championship ambitions, it just doesn't make sense to offer the Montreal native minutes ahead of players better-equipped to help the team win.
Unsurprisingly, the freshman received a redshirt this season.
There's an outcome where Rioux rounds out the rougher parts of his game and becomes a fairly productive player. Tacko Fall, Mamadou N'Diaye and Sim Bhullar all became effective collegiate players despite getting late starts to their basketball careers.
But, it's going to take some time. As a preferred walk-on, Rioux wasn't expected to contribute in any major way this season. Perhaps he'll snag a scholarship in the coming few years and nestle his way into a rotation — be that at Florida or another school. He's going to get chances. They just didn't come in his first year of college ball.
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Olivier Rioux highlights
Rioux hasn't yet seen the floor in the college game, receiving a redshirt as a freshman. His high school career at IMG Academy wasn't particularly notable. But his displays during the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup and 2024 FIBA Under-18 AmeriCup do offer a little more insight into what Rioux could offer at the collegiate level. The teenager averaged 3.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 2023, then improved his numbers to 4.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 2024.
Canada was better for Rioux's production in the latter tournament; Les Rouges captured their fifth bronze medal.
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