GAINESVILLE (USA) - There was applause when the voice on the tannoy read out the starting five of the Florida Gators before the game against North Florida.
There were cheers when the Gators scored on fast breaks and drilled 3-pointers, and swatted shots.
There was pandemonium, however, when Olivier Rioux stood up from the bench late in the game, walked to his coach and then entered the contest to make his first appearance in a college basketball game.
In doing so, the 2.36m (7ft 9in) center from Terrebonne, Quebec (he's 2.33m tall without shoes) became the tallest player to ever compete in NCAA basketball.
The Canadian has been raising eyebrows for some time in international basketball, while playing for the country's youth teams every summer since 2021.
In 2021, he played for his country at the FIBA 16 Americas Championship and averaged 8.3 points and 10.3 rebounds, and the next year he was in the Canada team that played at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup.
In 2023 he took the step up with Canada and featured at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup and in 2024, Rioux was with his national team at the FIBA U18 Americas Championships.
Just several months ago, after his redshirt year at Florida, Rioux traveled to Switzerland with Team Canada and played in his second FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup. There, he showed several flashes of strong play on the court.
Against the USA, his presence in the paint as part of the starting five helped his team compete with the eventual champions in what was arguably the best game of the tournament.
Now he's the latest Canadian center to compete in the American college game, not long after Zach Edey, who played at Purdue from 2020 to 2024 before his graduation to the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies.
Rioux's insertion to the game caused such a big buzz that Florida had him attending the post-game press conference.
"It felt great," Rioux said of entering the game. "The support from everybody was amazing. Even on the bench and even with the fans. Everybody supported me. I’m very grateful."
FIBA