Prairie View A&M men’s basketball player Hassane Diallo looked like he was in genuine shock.
No, not because his team was handed the second-largest defeat in NCAA Tournament history at the hands of No. 1 Florida on Friday, March 20. Rather, it was a moment near the end of the game that made Diallo’s reaction go viral.
REQUIRED READING: March Madness first round winners and losers: Key wins for Nebraska and Kentucky
With under two minutes left in the game, Florida redshirt freshman Olivier Rioux entered the game with the Gators ahead by 62 points. With the Panthers on offense, Diallo — who is listed at 6-8 on the PVAM roster — stood next to the 7-9 center for Florida and could not believe how tall the tallest player in NCAA basketball history was.
With his appearance in Friday’s game, Rioux became the tallest player to ever appear in an NCAA Tournament game. Of course, setting records is nothing new for Rioux, who was 7-7 when he was 16, making him the Guinness World Record holder for the world’s tallest teenager.
On Nov. 6, 2025, Rioux entered Florida’s game against North Florida to become the tallest player to ever play in an NCAA basketball game, beating out Manut Bol, who was 7-7 and played at Division II Bridgeport.
Fifteen days later, Rioux became the tallest player to ever score a point when he made a free throw against Merrimack. On Dec. 17, he made a dunk to become the tallest player to ever score a basket.
He finished the game with two points on 1-of-3 shooting to go along with two offensive rebounds and an assist. He hardly had to get off the floor to complete his dunk for his lone score.
Rioux, who redshirted last season for the Gators. He is from Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada.
How tall is Olivier Rioux?
The Florida Gators basketball redshirt freshman is 7 foot, 9 inches, making him the tallest player in NCAA basketball history.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Olivier Rioux height: Prairie View A&M player shocked at how tall Florida giant is
Read the full article here
