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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 writer at Sports Illustrated, primarily covering the NBA and WNBA. Before joining SI in November 2024 as a breaking/trending news writer, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation and A10Talk. He’s an alum of both Michigan State and St. Bonaventure University, receiving a master’s degree from the Bonnies’ sports journalism program. Outside of work, he’s a husband, father, yogi and fairly mediocre tennis player who’s open to any tips on how to play defense in EA Sports College Football.