Giant Leap: Rioux Exits Gators, Seeks Bigger Roles

0:00On March 31, Florida 7-foot-9 center, Olivier Ryu just dropped big news, entering the transfer portal as the tallest player in college. Hoops history. This 20-year-old Canadian phenom made waves at Gainesville, but barely saw the floor over two seasons. He redshirted his true freshman year during the Gator's title run, then logged just 15 total minutes this past season, dropping seven points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing one assist mostly in blowouts. Ryu held the Guinness record as the world's tallest team, before even arriving on campus, towering two inches over NBA legends like George Maresson, and Manute Bowl, and three over Yao Ming. He turned heads everywhere, from his custom bike rides to ducking doorways and cutting championship nets flat-footed. Coach Todd Golden kept him behind a stacked front court, using practice battles to sharpen his skills while Ryu embraced the grind. Earlier this week, he posted on Instagram that after reflecting on his path,

1:01it's time to chase real minutes as a third-year sophomore, with the portal opening April 7th. Wherever Ryu lands next, expect those viral highlights to multiply as he finally unleashes that height in bigger roles. Hoops world, stay tuned for the Giants Next Bounce. I'm Corey with the story, and you've been listening to Global News today, AI-powered Global Coverage.