Rioux Posts Double-Double in UC Irvine Debut

The seven-foot-nine forward started his first college game for the Anteaters in a season-opening win over Chapman.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Basketball

Rioux Posts Double-Double in UC Irvine Debut

Olivier Rioux recorded 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 12 rebounds with one block in 19 minutes as UC Irvine defeated Chapman 92-66 in its season opener. Rioux made his first college start in the game after transferring from Florida in April.

Why it matters

Rioux arrives at UC Irvine after two seasons at Florida, where he appeared in limited action, and his immediate production gives the Anteaters an early frontcourt contributor. The transfer was made with the hope of securing more floor time.

Rioux shot 6-of-9 from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds in 19 minutes, a sharp rise from the 1.5 minutes per game he averaged in 11 appearances as a Florida sophomore in 2025-26. The sample is a single game, and the extraction does not address how his minutes will trend going forward.

The players

Olivier Rioux

A seven-foot-nine forward from Terrebonne, Quebec, who previously held a Guinness World Record as the world's tallest teenager and played for Canada's junior and national teams.

Russell Turner

The head coach of UC Irvine, who said Rioux will have an immediate impact on the team.

The details

Rioux, a seven-foot-nine Terrebonne, Quebec native who helped Canada win bronze at the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship, spent his first two NCAA seasons with Florida, including its 2025 national championship team. He transferred to UC Irvine in April and made his Anteaters debut on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.

2021: Rioux won bronze with Canada at the FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship.
November 2024: Rioux made his Florida debut against North Florida.
2025: Florida won the national championship with Rioux on the roster.
April: Rioux decided to transfer to UC Irvine.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026: Rioux scored a double-double in UC Irvine's 92-66 win over Chapman.

Season Trajectory

Rioux's move from a Florida bench that featured him for 1.5 minutes per game to an immediate starting role at UC Irvine follows the path of transfers seeking more playing time after a championship season. His early production adds a frontcourt piece to an Anteaters team that opened the season with a 26-point win over Chapman.

Rioux's expanded role gives Anteaters fans a new frontcourt option to track in fantasy and in game-by-game box scores. His minutes and production over the coming games will show whether his debut performance is a sustained change in UC Irvine's rotation.

The takeaway

Rioux's debut shows how a player with limited minutes at one program can produce quickly after a transfer when given a clear role. Readers tracking the Anteaters should watch his minutes in the next several games.