Former Florida center Olivier Rioux, the tallest player in college basketball history, has found a new home in the transfer portal.
Rioux announced on Instagram that he will join the UC Irvine Anteaters.
Rioux, who is from Canada and played at IMG Academy in Florida, spent two years with the Florida Gators but played sparingly.
Rioux decided to enter the transfer portal after Florida’s 2026 NCAA Tournament run came to an end, and he now lands at UC Irvine in hopes of getting significant playing time.
IC Irvine head coach Russell Turner released a statement after the news became official on Thursday.
“We are excited to welcome Olivier Rioux to our program,” Turner said, per the release. “Olivier is a high-character young man whose presence will elevate our team, our university, and our community…We’ve built a strong relationship with Olivier and his family over the years, dating back to his high school recruitment, and that familiarity gives us tremendous belief in who he is both on and off the court.”
Rioux redshirted in his first season at Florida and played in 11 games this past season, averaging just 0.6 points in 1.5 minutes per game.
Rioux had 2 points with 2 rebounds in Florida’s Round of 64 win over No. 16 seed Prairie View A&M.
UC Irvine finished 23-12 overall and won the Big West regular season crown before losing to Hawaii in the conference tournament to miss the NCAA Tournament.
