GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) 鈥� The might have to wait a year to become the world's tallest college basketball player.
Florida coach Todd Golden said Thursday that Olivier Rioux, a , is planning to redshirt. Had the popular Canadian played in even one game, he would have burned one of his four seasons of college eligibility.
Instead, Rioux will spend the 2024-25 season practicing with teammates and honing his skills 鈥� and still be a freshman next fall.
鈥淚 should have made that clear (before)," Golden said. "Honestly, it鈥檚 put him in a tough situation. He鈥檚 sitting over there at the end of games and everybody鈥檚 yelling at him and trying to get him out there. They just hadn鈥檛 understood that that was our potential plan for him.
鈥淪o that鈥檚 where we鈥檙e at at this moment. I鈥檓 not saying that鈥檚 100% going to be the plan. We鈥檒l continue to talk to him and see if he changes what he wants to do. But as of right now, that鈥檚 the plan that we鈥檙e going to have with him as we move forward.鈥�
Florida students chanted for 鈥淥li鈥� in both of the team's home games this season. Golden emptied the bench in the final minutes of an and even said a few words to Rioux during the chaotic scene.
鈥淚 was just explaining to him, 鈥橦ey, the reason why I鈥檓 not putting you in right now is what we鈥檝e talked about a little bit,'鈥� Golden said. "This wasn鈥檛 a choice that I made for him. This is something that people (from) our program have talked with him and his family and his parents, his AAU coach and just kind of trying to figure out what the best route for him is.
鈥淚 just went up to him and I was like, 鈥楬ey, I鈥檓 not trying to be disrespectful with you. I鈥檓 just not trying to burn your year putting you in for 30 seconds.鈥欌��
Rioux handled the decision well, Golden said.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a great kid, and he鈥檚 a pleaser,鈥� Golden said. "He wants to do what others think is best for him. And he鈥檚 coachable. Again, if this is what our staff, his parents, the people around him that care about him, think is best, I think he鈥檚 going to be comfortable. Ultimately, it鈥檚 his decision. But I think that鈥檚 where he鈥檒l land.鈥�
___
AP college basketball: and
Mark Long, The Associated Press
