Former Florida center Olivier Rioux continues to be an attraction in his new home

Olivier Rioux is already a celebrity in Southern California because it's easy to stand out when you're 7-foot-9.

Rioux, who transferred from Florida to UC Irvine in the offseason, threw out the first pitch at an Anaheim Angels game over the weekend. The big man from Terrebonne, Quebec stood on the mound, which probably made him look like he was 9-foot-9 and threw a nice slow hook that dropped as it was crossing the plate.

READ MORE: Florida fans finally know where Olivier Rioux landed in the portal

Former Gator Olivier Rioux tries to find his footing at UC Irvine

Rioux came to Florida as a preferred walk-on with a lot of fanfare because you just don't see 7-foot-9 people every day. He played his senior year at IMG Academy and was mostly recruited for his unique size and potential to offer some situational shot blocking and rebounding. 

The prevailing thought was that it was going to be hard for Rioux to find any consistent playing time at Florida and that played out because Todd Golden had a plethora of athletic big men that offered far more athleticism and versatility on the floor. The Gators' big three of Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu have handled the bulk of the front court work.

Rioux, who did not play in the 2024-25 season, was mostly used in garbage time at the end of blowouts last year, and, in that role, he became a fan favorite with the crowd hoping he could get in the game and on the scoresheet before the buzzer sounded. 

The fans got their wish in 11 games this past season, with Rioux playing 17 total minutes and scoring seven points in those contests. His final basket with the Gators was a dunk in the first-round of the NCAA tournament, a 114-55 win over Prairie View A&M. 

READ MORE: Florida's blowout win over Prairie View summed up in this hilarious moment

"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," Chinyelu said after that game. " [We try] to do whatever to get him to play the game because we all worked so hard for that, so whatever time, seconds he gets, cherish that."

It wasn't a surprise to see Rioux make the decision to enter the transfer portal after the season. There simply wasn't a pathway for him to see any meaningful time in Gainesville. Despite his lack of playing time, Rioux seemed to be well-liked and earned the respect of his teammates with his desire to improve.

Here's hoping he gets a chance to be more than an attraction with the Anteaters and, if not, maybe he can work on that curveball. 

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