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Florida's 7'9" Center Got to Show Off His Incredible Net-Cutting Trick Again

A trip to the Final Four creates another unique visual.

Kyle Koster

Olivier Rioux
Olivier Rioux / NCAA March Madness
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The Florida Gators overcame a nine-point deficit over the final 134 seconds against Texas Tech on Saturday night to earn a spot in the Final Four thanks to Walter Clayton Jr.'s heroics and an outsized contribution from Thomas Haugh. It's the first trip back to the Final Four for the Gators since 2014 where they will square off against the winner of Auburn-Michigan State.

Freshman center Olivier Rioux did not get into the box score and has yet to see any action this season but he did get to dominate the celebratory net-cutting postgame for a second time, having previously drawn eyeballs at the SEC tournament.

Rioux, who stands 7'9", does not need a ladder to cut down his piece of the net. He simply reaches up.

Great stuff. It really puts into perspective how tall 7'9" is for some reason it's tough to understand that it's very, very tall. It's one of those scenes that a person doesn't think they need to see until they see it. Unless you're a fan of a team that just lost to the Gators or someone who takes scissor safety very seriously, it's hard to imagine not cracking a bit of a smile at this.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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