Olivier Rioux becomes tallest player to start a Division 1 basketball game, dunks from behind basket

For much of his college-basketball career, Olivier Rioux has been more of an idea than a reality. He received plenty of attention for his height, but that didn’t translate the much playing time at Florida.Because of that, Rioux transferred to UC Irvine in April, where he was expected to see the court more. The 7-foot-9 center got his wish Tuesday, earning his first-ever college start. In doing so, he broke a record, becoming the tallest player to start a Division 1 basketball gameIt proved to be worth the wait, as Rioux posted a double-double in the contest, scoring 13 points and pulling down 12 rebounds in a 92-66 win over Chapman.Rioux’s performance also included a mind-bending highlight, in which the center dunked the ball despite the majority of his body being behind the basket. 7’9” Olivier Rioux CASUALLY dunks from behind the backboard 🤯pic.twitter.com/MV4CCSdWSB— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 4, 2026It didn’t even look that difficult for Rioux, who casually hopped up and dunked the ball. That’s the benefit of being 7-foot-9, apparently. With UC Irvine, Rioux finally has an opportunity to show his height can translate on the court. After redshirting at Florida as a freshman, Rioux was used sparingly by the program last season, averaging just 1.5 minutes per game across 11 contests. Throughout his entire career at Florida, Rioux was just three of six from the field, with six rebounds and seven points. He exceeded those figures in his game at UC Irvine. Rioux still has a long way to go before his production puts him on NBA Draft radars. His 7-foot-9 frame should get him attention, but height can only get a player so far in the pros. Despite being 7-foot-6, Tacko Fall has yet to establish himself as a consistent NBA player.Still, Rioux’s size is notable. At 7-foot-9, he would be the tallest player to play in an NBA game if his career reached that point. That’s far from a guarantee, but at least Rioux now has the opportunity show what he can do.