7-foot-9 Canadian Rioux Sees Action as No. 3 Florida Rout North Florida
Alex Condon led No. 3 Florida with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Micah Handlogten recorded his second straight double-double as the Gators hammered North Florida 104–64 on Thursday night.
The game was so one-sided that 7-foot-9 walk-on Olivier Rioux, recognized as the world’s tallest teenager, made his long-awaited collegiate debut. The 19-year-old freshman drew the biggest applause of the evening when he shed his warm-up jersey and stepped onto the court with 2:09 remaining, though he didn’t touch the ball.
Coming off a narrow five-point loss to 13th-ranked Arizona in Las Vegas, the Gators raised their national championship banner during pregame introductions before delivering a dominant performance in their home opener. They looked every bit like title contenders again, particularly on defense.
Dominant Performances
- Condon added four assists, three blocks, and two steals alongside his double-double effort.
- Handlogten contributed 17 points and 13 rebounds.
- Thomas Haugh added 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Florida controlled nearly every aspect of the game, outrebounding North Florida 64–24 and outscoring them 66–22 in the paint. The Gators earned their 35th consecutive home-opener victory and improved to 12–0 all-time against North Florida.
“Florida (1–1) finished with a 64–24 rebounding advantage and outscored the Ospreys 66–22 in the paint.”
North Florida (0–1), under new head coach Bobby Keenen, struggled to find rhythm in its season opener.
Author's Summary
Florida dominated their home opener with balanced team play as 7-foot-9 freshman Olivier Rioux debuted, signaling fresh energy and strong depth for the Gators’ championship ambitions.