The Florida Gators were on the verge of elimination against the back-to-back NCAA champion UConn Huskies in the second round of the 2025 March Madness tournament on Sunday afternoon. And while they did escape with a two-point win, how different would the outcome of the game or their overall performance in the 2025 NCAA Tournament be if they unleashed their secret weapon, Olivier Rioux?

Olivier Rioux might not be the tallest player ever listed to play any form of competitive basketball, but he is getting close. Back in 2021, Rioux made the Guinness World Record for being the tallest teenager ever at 7’5″.

He was 15 then. Now, at 19, he’s 7’9″, and doctors believe he has a chance to get even taller.

Rioux’s path to basketball started when he was 5 years old. Coming from Canada, Rioux played for Real Madrid and Brookwood Elite prior to moving to Florida to play high school basketball for IMG Academy.

His efforts were enough to eventually become a 4-star recruit and the 147th-ranked player of the 2024 class.

Rioux received three offers to play college basketball as per 247 Sports. Those schools were Florida, Florida Atlantic, and Stetson.

In the end, he chose Florida.

The Gators basketball program has been on a roller coaster ride since Billy Donovan’s departure for the NBA. But after qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in 2024, it seems they’ve finally turned a page.

With a stacked roster heading into 2025, head coach Todd Golden managed to convince Rioux to make the tough decision to redshirt this season. The decision ended up being a smart one since he wouldn’t get a lot of playing time with the transfer of 6’11” Rueben Chinyelu from Washington State.

While missing out on being part of the Gators’ most talented roster in over a decade stings, it does give Rioux a better shot to start off his college basketball career on the right foot. As he gains more muscle and reps playing with better players, the better he’ll get. Rioux’s even already gone viral a few times when clips of him practicing with Florida hit the internet.

If you thought the Florida Gators looked scary now, you can only imagine how difficult it would be to beat them with 7’9″ Olivier Rioux standing in the paint the next four years.

As per his NBA aspirations, Rioux still has a long way to go. But if he can live up to the hype, it will give us the chance to finally see someone make Victor Wembanyama and Bol Bol look tiny.