By Guillaume K. | Sports journalist
Olivier Rioux is the greatest player in the history of the NCAA, this prestigious university league which has seen almost all the greatest players pass through. If this record is memorable, it also causes certain daily inconveniences.
A few years ago, Kevin Durant predicted that the NBA would one day be filled with players over 2m10 capable of dribbling, shooting from afar, defending… At the time some took him for a crazy person, but it’s clear that the prophecy is on track to come true. You only need to look at the early careers of Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren to see this.
Nowadays, the very big ones no longer have complexes, and teams are more and more likely to give them a chance. In the NCAA, there is a talent that could benefit from this trend. His name is Olivier Rioux, he is Canadian, he is 18 years old, and he is about to make the history of his sport and the prestigious university league.
Olivier Rioux too big for the Florida campus!
Indeed, in a few hours, he will officially become the tallest player in NCAA history thanks to his 2m36. A size that can be practical on a basketball court, but a little less so in everyday life. The Quebec site Noovo Info recounts part of his daily life on the campus of the University of Florida.
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In Quebec, Rioux has a number of custom-made objects to make his life more comfortable, including his bed. On campus, however, he can barely lie diagonally on a queen-size mattress. He has to bend down to pass by each door and often hits his head. Most of his wardrobe comes from Gators gear.
Micah Handlogten, 2m13 teammate, adds:
It’s really weird to look up and look at someone. It’s just different when you’re in public with him. It was normally me that people would say, “You’re so tall.” Do you play basketball? “. There, no one said a word to me anymore. Everyone looks at him. It’s a little crazy, but that doesn’t put him off.
Being the greatest player in NCAA history gives you notoriety, but it doesn’t make you comfortable on the college campus. Olivier Rioux is obviously put in a very good position by Florida, particularly in terms of clothing, but the staff can do nothing to find him a mattress perfectly suited to his size.
Olivier Rioux is the greatest player in NCAA history, which has its definite pros and cons. On campus, for example, he has difficulty finding a mattress that fits him, which risks disrupting his sleep.
