Olivier Rioux continues to grow. Already voted “tallest teenager in the world” by the Guinness Book of Records three years ago, when he measured 2m26, the 18-year-old from Quebec has gained a few more centimeters…
With his basketball shoes, he stands at 2m36, and it is therefore at this height that the University of Floridawith which he is engaged, records it on his website.
Obviously, the information has been commented on a lot in recent days on the Web, since Olivier Rioux should become tallest player in NCAA history next season. He will thus surpass the already immense Paul Sturgess, measured at 2m33 at Florida Tech (2007–2008) and Mountain State (2009–2011).
It now remains to be seen what the Canadian can bring to the field, given that he started playing basketball five years ago and players this tall are often very limited in terms of movement.
At the IMG Academy champion factory for three years, Olivier Rioux has mainly worked on his mobility and coordination, but 247 Sports only makes him a “three-star” prospect, in 53rd place in his vintage among the pivots. He had also passed inconclusive tests with Real Madrid in 2018, even if he dreams of playing for the Raptors.
During FIBA competitions with Canada, his impact has always been very limited, for example averaging 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds during the U19 World Cup in 2023, during which he was the least used player (4.4 minutes per game) from the squad to the maple leaf.
