New Up-Close Video Emerges of Florida’s 7-foot-9 Freshman Before Final Four

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Apr 4, 2025 1:11 PM ET

The No. 1 seed Florida Gators are facing off against the No. 1 Auburn Tigers in the Final Four on Saturday.

It is a huge showdown between a pair of SEC teams that have already played each other this season.

On February 8, Florida defeated Auburn on the road, 90-81, in a huge statement win for the Gators.

On Friday, the teams held practice in San Antonio in preparation for the Final Four. During the practice, a new video emerged of Florida freshman Olivier Rioux.

While Rioux has not played all year, his 7-foot-9 frame has generated plenty of buzz online.

At the beginning of the season, Rioux drew attention sitting on the bench with his teammates (pictured above).

Now, an up-close video shows just how big he is.

What 7'9" Florida center Olivier Rioux looks like up close #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/WuiSaiAdCo
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 4, 2025

Rioux, who is Canadian, will set a record as the tallest college basketball player in history as soon as he plays in a game.

However, he is redshirting this season for Florida.

At the start of the season, Rioux became a viral sensation, and fans even chanted "We want Oli" during the win over Grambling State in Gainesville in November.

In March, Florida coach Todd Golden mentioned it would be a "challenge" for Rioux to see rotation time next season.

"He obviously doesn't play for us this year," Golden said. "I think it's a challenge next year. But if he sticks with it down the road, I think he can become an impactful player."

Still, there is hope for Rioux in the long run, especially for somebody of his size.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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