Jai Lucas is about to spend another offseason hunting for transfer portal value, and Miami should absolutely make the call to one of the most entertaining options in the country.
Olivier Rioux, the former Florida center who stands 7-foot-9, entered the portal Tuesday after two seasons in Gainesville. He barely played for the Gators, but the Hurricanes have a solid case to sell if they want to take a swing on the tallest player in college basketball history.
goodbye sweet prince, hello transfer portal.
— Hard Rock Bet (@HardRockBet) March 31, 2026
Where will Olivier Rioux land? 👀 pic.twitter.com/FwlDmUBPUJ
Florida center Olivier Rioux enters the portal
Rioux has been well-known for years, first as the world's tallest teenager in Guinness World Records and then as the player Florida fans begged to see on the court.
Rioux appeared in 11 games for Florida in 2025-26 and finished with seven points, six rebounds and an assist. He also became the tallest player in college basketball history to score a basket.
Rioux was a developmental big at Florida. He was also a former IMG Academy prospect, originally from Canada, and has been in major basketball circles for years.
Miami is losing a number of players including senior center Ernest Udeh Jr. Udeh was Miami's leading rebounder and shot blocker at 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. So, the Canes are losing a fair amount of size and rim-protection down low. Maybe Rioux could be the answer to that for Lucas next season.
Even if this never turns into a serious pursuit, Miami should still explore it. Rioux developed at IMG Academy in Bradenton and already knows the state. He is also one of the most instantly recognizable players in college basketball, which means there is obvious attention value on top of just basketball. That part is not the main reason to recruit him, but it would be a fun thing to explore.