Florida giant Olivier Rioux has opened up on his viral March Madness debut after becoming the tallest player ever to feature in the tournament.
Rioux, who stands at an astonishing 7ft 9in tall, set the internet ablaze after checking in to the No. 1 Gators’ blowout win over No. 16 Prairie View A&M on Friday night.
After towering over a stunned 6ft 8in opponent in a hilarious moment, the 20-year-old Canadian produced a put-back dunk to log two points in a resounding 114-55 victory.
The loudest cheers in Florida’s opening-round rout came when he checked in and then scored long after the outcome was decided.
And Rioux was chuffed after his historic appearance in Tampa.
‘It’s a great moment. I got the rebound and then I dunked it,’ he said. ‘But it’s also a great moment because I hustled, I did my job, and everything else toward the defense was good, too.
‘I came to play.’
Florida giant Olivier Rioux has opened up on his viral March Madness debut on Friday night
Rioux, who stands at 7ft 9in tall, set the internet ablaze after appearing in a blowout Florida win
Fans at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa began chanting ‘We want Ollie’ during the game, encouraging coach Todd Golden to bring in the native of Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada.
Rueben Chinyelu, who broke a school record with his 19th double-double of the season, waved his arms, pumping up the crowd to scream louder for Rioux.
Golden granted the fans their wish when he eventually checked into the game to thunderous cheers and applause.
After he came off the bench, Prairie View A&M junior forward Hassane Diallo was seen staring up at the tallest college basketball player of all time in another moment which sparked a frenzy on social media.
Rioux’s teammates celebrated his record-setting achievement after the game.
‘Just me seeing him being able to step up there, go in there, dunk the ball, make points, it’s really — you could see everybody enjoyed it,’ said Florida center Rueben Chinyelu.
‘Anytime we get to — anytime we’re playing and we can set up an opportunity to get our guys in, we really do that because that’s what we do because they grind.’
Florida set a record with their 59-point blowout win. It officially became the second-largest win in March Madness history – 10 points shy of the all-time record set in 1963.
