The game was hardly in doubt when Rioux came off the bench; the Gators had a 40-point lead with only 2:09 remaining. However, the roar of the crowd, chanting, “Rioux! Rioux!” compelled coaches to summon the giant redshirt freshman and send him out onto the NCAA hardwood for the first time in live game action.
The crowd roared again with approval after Rioux made his way to the scorer’s table.
It didn’t take North Florida players long to realize that an entirely different physical specimen had entered the game.
While Rioux’s debut made history, he did not produce a stat line, as he entered the game too late to register points, rebounds, blocks, etc.
According to Bleacher Report:
Rioux, who is from Terrebonne, Quebec in Canada, played high school basketball at IMG Academy in Florida. He was a 3-star prospect in the class of 2024 and also received offers from Florida Atlantic and Stetson before committing to Florida in Nov. 2023.
The Guinness World Record holder for the tallest teenager has played for Canada at numerous international events, such as the 2024 U18 FIBA AmeriCup. Canada took third place at the event.
The win over North Florida gave the Gators their first win of the season. They’ll look to increase their win total on Tuesday when they take on their in-state rival, Florida State.
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