Olivier Rioux is hitting the transfer portal after Florida’s loss to Iowa in the second round of March Madness. At 7’9″, he is one of the tallest centers to play in college basketball, and that alone could be an asset for any team.
While he is a massive presence, he did not get much playing time at Florida. He played just 11 games, averaging 0.6 points and 0.5 rebounds in 1.5 minutes per game. That being said, where could the big man go?
Top 5 Landing Spots For 7’9″ Center Olivier Rioux
Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue is known for producing some of the best big men in basketball. The team is already filled with centers, but if Rioux wants to develop his game and iron out any flaws, then Purdue should be the place to go.
Creighton Blue Jays
Another program known for developing centers is Creighton. Olivier Rioux could find more playing time with the Blue Jays. Currently, he will only have to compete with fellow freshman center Aleksa Dimitrijevic from Serbia for the starting center spot, which should put Creighton high on his list.
UConn Huskies
After making the Final Four again this year, senior center Tarris Reed Jr. is expected to leave, which means that a spot for the center position might open up. The program is also known for big man development, from Emeka Okafor to Cliff Robinson, so if there is a Final Four team that Olivier Rioux could consider, it is the Huskies.
North Carolina Tar Heels
This one might be a bit of a gamble for him, but North Carolina, a blue-blood school, is expected to be on a rebuild and is also in search of a new coach. This should provide a fresh start for Rioux, but it is a gamble, as there’s a chance he might not get as much development in such a big program.
Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats are a good team and a blue-blood program. However, they were eliminated early during March Madness, which means it is back to the drawing board for Mark Pope. His team, while good, showed that it lacked some size, so what better way to address that than by adding one of the tallest players in college basketball?
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