World’s tallest teenager, Gators’ 7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux, to redshirt

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The world’s tallest teenager may have to wait a year to become the world’s tallest college basketball player.

Florida coach Todd Golden said Thursday that Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 freshman who holds a spot in the Guinness Book of Records, plans to redshirt. Had the popular Canadian played in just one game, he would have burned one of his four seasons of college eligibility.

Instead, Rioux will spend the 2024-25 season practicing with teammates and honing his skills — and will still be a rookie next fall.

“I should have made it clear (before),” Golden said. “Honestly, it’s put him in a tough spot. He’s sitting over there at the end of games and everybody’s yelling at him and trying to get him out there. They just didn’t understand that that was our potential plan for him.

“So that’s where we are at this moment. I’m not saying that’s 100% going to be the plan. We’re going to continue to talk to him and see if he changes what he wants to do. But right now, it is the plan we want with him moving forward.”

The Florida student chanted for “Oli” in both of the team’s home games so far this season. Golden otherwise emptied the bench in the final minutes of an 86-62 win over Grambling State on Monday night and even said a few words to Rioux during the chaotic scene.

“I just explained to him, ‘Hey, the reason I’m not putting you in right now is what we talked about a little bit,”’ Golden said. “This wasn’t a choice I made for him. It’s something that people (from) our program have talked to him and his family and his parents, his AAU coach and just kind of trying to figure out what the best path for him is.

“I went right up to him and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m not trying to be disrespectful to you. I’m just not trying to burn your year and lay you down for 30 seconds.'”

Rioux handled the decision well, Golden said.

“He’s a great kid and he’s a pleaser,” Golden said. “He wants to do what other people think is best for him. And he’s trainable. Again, if that’s what our staff, his parents, the people around him who care about him think is best, I think that he wants to feel good. In the end, it’s his decision, but I think that’s where he lands.