Florida's 7'9" Center Olivier Rioux Cut Down Net Without a Ladder One Last Time

The 7'9" big man got to disregard the ladder once more.
Florida center Rioux cuts down the nets after the national title
Florida center Rioux cuts down the nets after the national title / Screengrab via Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) on X/Twitter
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The Florida Gators are national champs, which meant their 7'9" freshman center Olivier Rioux got to do his famous net-cutting trick one last time.

Through each step of the Florida's title run, Rioux cut the net with his feet on the ground with no need to use the ladder standing beside him. He did so after Florida won the SEC tournament, then again once they made the Final Four in San Antonio. On Monday night, the third time was the charm as the Gators outlasted the Houston Cougars 65-63 in a thriller to win the national title.

Although Rioux is redshirting and didn't step on the floor during the game, he got to turn heads during the postgame celebration once more:

The Canadian big man went to IMG Academy and was the 61st-ranked center on 247Sports as a high school senior. He has yet to make his college debut, but when he does, he'll be sure to turn heads with his play on the court. In the meantime, his net-cutting spectacle will do.


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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.