Olivier Rioux NBA Draft scouting report: Why Florida's 7-foot-9 No. 32 has a long way to go

Olivier Rioux NBA Draft scouting report: Why Florida’s 7-foot-9 No. 32 has a long way to go originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

If someone told you that there was a 7-foot-9 guy who was on the roster of last season’s college basketball Division I national champion, you’d probably figure there was an NBA future there, right?

Well, for Florida’s Olivier Rioux, it is far from that simple. Yes, he’s super tall, the tallest player to ever score in a college basketball game. And yes, you can’t teach height.

But to make it to the NBA requires more than height, even for the tallest individuals.

Rioux is in his second year with the Gators. He redshirted for the champs, not playing a single second, and has now played very minimally in the 2025-26 season for Florida.

He did get a dunk late in Florida’s NCAA Tournament-opening blowout win over 16-seed Prarie View A&M, and that got him plenty of extra attention.

For Rioux to ever dunk in the NBA, though, will be quite the feat.

Olivier Rioux strengths

Truly, Rioux’s biggest strength is his height.

That old adage that you can’t teach height has never been more true than with Rioux.

It gives him utility in a couple of different places.

Offensively, he is a strong screener, taking up so much space and then also such a big target as a roller.

Defensively, there’s never been someone to guard an inbounds pass quite like Rioux. Good luck throwing it full court over him.

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Olivier Rioux weaknesses

The skill side of the game is where Rioux’s chances of making the NBA suffer.

He doesn’t have great footwork or touch, which can negate a lot of his potential advantage on the offensive end.

He also doesn’t have the best court awareness, which will impact his ability to use his length effectively on the defensive end.

If Rioux was in the NBA right now, teams would draw him out as a defender in the pick-and-roll and absolutely go right at him, over and over.

He would still win occasional moments because of his historic size, but in the long run, he wouldn’t have enough going for him to succeed.

Olivier Rioux NBA Mock Draft projection

Mock Draft projection: Years away from consideration

There was once a player drafted into the NBA, Bruno Caboclo, who was described as being “two years away from being two years away.”

Rioux fits that mold. Maybe he could develop enough in the next few years to deserve a spot in the league. But right now, he won’t even consider declaring for the draft.

Olivier Rioux NBA player comparison

Plays like: Keith Closs

You have to pick someone quite skinny to even begin to sum this up, and the 7-foot-3 Closs measured at just 212 pounds, so he fits.

Manute Bol was 7-foot-7, but his shooting touch makes him nothing like Rioux.

Closs was a journeyman who went undrafted out of Central Connecticut State but played a lot of professional basketball in a lot of different leagues, including the NBA.

That seems like Rioux’s most likely path. Some pro team somewhere will want him. Will it be an NBA team? That’s much less certain.

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Olivier Rioux NBA Draft scouting report: Why Florida’s 7-foot-9 No. 32 has a long way to go

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