Olivier Rioux scores first career point in NCAA

19-year-old Canadian giant Olivier Rioux sinks a free throw moments later / Photo: Instagram/@oconnellcenter

Florida Gators center Olivier Rioux has set an NCAA record. The 19-year-old Canadian became the tallest player in league history to score a basket. He stands 2.36 meters tall (about 7 feet 9 inches).

The historic moment took place on Nov. 21 as the Florida Gators defeated the Merrimack Warriors, 80-46. Rioux entered the game with 2:26 minutes remaining. He missed his first free throw but made the second.

Notably, Rioux made his Gators debut on Nov. 6, becoming the tallest player ever to appear in an NCAA game. According to the NBA press service, he was subbed in with 2:09 left on the clock but did not touch the ball during that appearance.

In 2021, Guinness World Records recognized the then-15-year-old Rioux as the tallest teenager in the world. At the time, he measured 2.26 meters; he has since grown another 10 centimeters.