Florida's Olivier Rioux Makes March Madness History in Gators' Blowout Win

TAMPA, Fla.-- 6-foot-8 Prairie View A&M forward Hassane Diallo's reaction to Olivier Rioux checking into Friday's game between the Florida Gators and the Panthers said it all.

Rioux, a 7-foot-9 redshirt freshman and at one time the Guiness World Record holder for world's tallest teenager (he just turned 20) checked into the Gators' blowout win in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64 with 1:54 left and Florida up 109-47.

Then, all Diallo could do was look up at the tallest college basketball player in history.

Sizing up the tallest player in college basketball history pic.twitter.com/dvzaFaBqiZ
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 21, 2026

Nearly every time Rioux steps on the floor, he breaks a record.

When he made his first collegiate appearance on Nov. 6 against North Florida, he became the tallest person ever to play in a college basketball game. When he hit a free throw on Nov. 21 against Merrimack, he became the tallest person ever to score in a college basketball game. When he dunked a ball against Saint Francis on Dec. 17, he became the tallest person ever to make a field goal in a college basketball game.

He also broke the SEC record for tallest player to score in an SEC game with a bucket against Alabama on Feb. 1.

Another was added to his list in Friday's 114-55 blowout win over Prairie View A&M. A dunk with 1:12 left made him the tallest player ever to score in an NCAA Tournament game. He also had his best statistical outing of his career with two rebounds and his first assist.

Olivier Rioux scores! pic.twitter.com/zOhGaRChV7
— Cam Parker (@camparker25) March 21, 2026

Rueben Chinyelu, who broke the program's single-season double-double record on Friday, led the "We Want Ollie" chants inside Benchmark International Arena, pleading with head coach Todd Golden to put Rioux into the game.

When Rioux went in and when he scored, Chinyelu, the other players on the bench, the coaching staff, the fans inside the arena and social media exploded.

"You guys don't see behind the scenes," Chinyelu told the media after the game. "(The reserves) get ready, they're getting us ready, they're playing with us, trying to make sure we have what we need to deliver. I think that's the gift of -- I would say the time to give them, to repay them as a thank you for what you guys do."

Rioux's record is one of many Florida broke and one of many major statistical outings in its win on Friday. The Gators' 114 points and 29 assists are program-bests in an NCAA Tournament game, while its sixth 100-point game this season is the most in a single-season in school history. Its 59-point win is also the largest in an NCAA Tournament game in school history and second-largest all time.

In addition to Chinyelu's record-breaking double-double, Micah Handlogten became just the second player in program history to have multiple 100-offensive rebound seasons, while Boogie Fland (60 steals this season) and Alex Condon (505 career defensive rebounds) each moved into the top 10 in program history in those statistical categories.

While Florida utterly dominated on Friday, the Gators will quickly turn its attention to Sunday's matchup against nine-seed Iowa, which begins at 7:10 p.m. with television coverage on TBS.

"I would say defending champion, that's history," Chinyelu said. "I would say like everybody could be on the same page as me telling that we don't care about that one. That one is gone. This is a new team so we're just going out there because the championship is right there to grab."