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Florida’s 7-foot-9 center cuts down championship net without a ladder

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 1:01 AM ET

Florida center Olivier Rioux gave Gators fans a glimpse of what he could potentially bring to the team next season.

Florida outlasted Houston in a hard-fought 65-63 game to win the 2025 NCAA National Championship inside the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Rioux, who took a redshirt year this season, did not play a single second in the contest. But he was more than ready to celebrate with his teammates.

The 7-foot-9 center showed off his impressive standing reach during the celebration. As is customary for the NCAA Tournament’s winning team, Florida brought out a ladder to cut down the nets.

Rioux didn’t need it. The 19-year-old behemoth grabbed the pair of scissors sitting on top of the ladder, an insane feat in and of itself, and simply used his 8-foot wingspan to cut down part of the net.

Florida’s 7-foot-9 center Olivier Rioux did not need a ladder to cut down the nets after winning the national championship. pic.twitter.com/hdjjwc5uFu
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 8, 2025

Check out how much Olivier stands out from the Alamodome crowd, literally.

Where's Olivier?

Hard to not stand out in a crowd when you're 7'9" pic.twitter.com/1eUwAJldh6
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 8, 2025

Rioux will get his first taste of college basketball action during Florida’s title defense next season.

Fans have seen gigantic college basketball players dominate in the not-too-distant past. 7-foot-4 Zach Edey recently won back-to-back Naismith College Player of the Year awards during his time at Purdue. 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall was a game-changing rim protector who turned his four years at UCF into an NBA career.

At an absurd 7-foot-9, Rioux would be the tallest ever to suit up for an NCAA basketball game. So far, Rioux has just been a viral fascination for his surreal photos standing next to reporters. Next year, fans will get a chance to see what he can do on the court.

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

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