Kentucky watches tallest teenager in the world (among other recruits)
In the midst of a brief evaluation period for college coaches, John Calipari’s staff hit the trail on opposite ends of the world.
Able to sit courtside for select events from July 22-25 for the live period, Kentucky assistant coaches Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman were in Memphis for the annual NCAA College Basketball Academy and US Open Championships.
Among the list of recruits the coaching duo was in to see? The world’s tallest teenager, 7-foot-7, 290-pound center Olivier Rioux of Canada.
Rioux, a native of Montreal, QC, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest male teenager in the world — an honor he earned in 2021 when he measured in at 7-5. Now two years later, he’s officially listed at 7-7, 290 pounds by Canada Basketball.
The 17-year-old big man has been at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL since July 2021, developing his game at the prestigious prep school while continuing to grow vertically.
Bouncing around from court to court throughout the event, Antigua and Coleman also made stops to check out 2024 6-9 forward Ibrahim Traore and 2025 four-star center Malachi Moreno — a Georgetown, KY native — among others.
Elsewhere, new assistant coach Chuck Martin kept his passport handy coming back from Toronto and flew to Serbia for the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championships.
John Calipari has made it clear in recent years he’d like to explore the deep pool of international basketball talent in hopes of finding a clear fit in Lexington. He’s already hit home runs with Canadian talents such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray and Trey Lyles. Now he’s digging deeper and wider, extending his reach overseas.
The Kentucky coaching staff is certainly earning their SkyMiles nonetheless.
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