Not often does a 6-foot-8 basketball player look small on the court, but that’s what the tallest college basketball player ever did on Friday night.

Florida’s Olivier Rioux entered the game late in the team’s dominant 114-55 win over No. 16 Prairie View A&M at Benchmark International Arena, and at 7-foot-9, he floored his opponents with his height.

Prairie View A&M forward Hassane Diallo, who stands at 6-foot-8, a full foot shorter than Rioux, went viral for sizing up the towering 20-year-old as he entered the game. Rioux was the world’s tallest teenager before his birthday last month.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Florida Gators center Olivier Rioux (32) and Prairie View A&M Panthers forward Hassane Diallo (11) look on during a first-round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, on Mar. 20, 2026. (Matt Pendleton/Imagn Images)

Rioux has been little used throughout the year as he continues to develop, but has become a fan favorite in short order. Whenever the Gators are up big late in games, the Florida crowd chants Rioux’s name at head coach Todd Golden, wanting to see the tall center in action.

Rioux sent the crowd into a frenzy when he checked into the game with about two minutes left. He sent them into even further hysteria when he slammed home a put-back dunk for his first career NCAA tournament points, as fans rained down “Oli! Oli!” chants.

RICK PITINO JOINS ‘THANK YOU, NYPD’ CAMPAIGN BEFORE ST JOHN’S’ MARCH MADNESS OPENER

Florida Gators center Olivier Rioux (32) dunks the ball in the second half against the Prairie View A&M Panthers during a first-round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, on Mar. 20, 2026. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)

Florida’s victory was historic, as the 59-point margin of victory was the second-largest in NCAA tournament history.

Prairie View A&M was down 30 points when head coach Byron Smith was asked by the TNT broadcast during a midgame interview what it would take to slow down Florida.

“We need some help from the Lord,” Smith replied.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Florida Gators center Olivier Rioux (32) looks on in the second half against the Prairie View A&M Panthers during a first-round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, on Mar. 20, 2026. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)

Prairie View A&M did not end up getting any help from above, as the defending champions steamrolled their way into the second round.

No. 1 Florida will play No. 9 Iowa on Sunday at 7:10 p.m. ET, when Gator fans hope for another chance to see Rioux in action.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Halftime Observations

• Bayern were patient enough to find gaps in this stubborn Union Berlin side, and were rewarded with two goals.

• Serge Gnabry appears to be more comfortable in the middle rather than out wide.

• The long pass game by Bayern has been causing all sorts of problems for Union.

• Michael Olise continues to be the danger man for Bayern. Biggest coup of the century, full stop.

45+2′ Halftime!

45+1′ – TOR! Gnabry pounces on a loose ball in the box and makes it 2-0 Bayern!

45′ – One minute of stoppage time is added on.

43′ – TOR! Michael Olise finally breaks the deadlock!

42′ – Stanisic does well but the shot was lacking; in essence, a missed sitter.

40′ – Olise and Kane both miss great chances to score.

38′ – Kane’s freekick goes too high on his freekick.

37′ – Danilho Doekhi clips Gnabry outside the box, concedes a freekick, and receives a yellow card.

35′ – Kim Min-jae lobs the ball for Olise, who couldn’t control it and goes out of play.

33′ – Jannik Haberer this time fouls Gnabry outside the box, but isn’t booked.

30′ – Leopold Querfeld fouls Olise just outside the box and gets booked.

29′ – Josip Stanisic plays a square ball to Karl but his shot hits the post and back into play. There seems to be a hint of offside too.

23′ – Bayern deflect an Union freekick behind for a corner. The ensuing corner leads to nothing.

21′ – Serge Gnabry’s shot goes well wide.

16′ – Joshua Kimmich and Lennart Karl combine on the right, but Karl’s shot is saved by Frederik Ronnow.

9′ – Michael Olise plays a ball over the top for Harry Kane, but the latter couldn’t direct the ball into the goal.

3′ – Dayot Upamecano gets an early yellow card.

Kickoff! – We are off!

Lineups are out!

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is due to return to the ring in September after losing to Terence Crawford late last year.

The unanimous decision defeat saw Canelo surrender his four super-middleweight world titles. Crawford announced his retirement from the sport as an undefeated, five-weight world champion months later. He had been stripped of the WBC belt and vacated the rest.

Christian Mbilli has since been upgraded to full WBC champion after retaining his interim belt against Lester Martinez – who also fights under trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre with Crawford – on the Canelo-Crawford undercard.

When Mbilli was crowned, Crawford stood by his stablemate, insisting Martinez should have been given the nod and is the rightful champion.

Though Mbilli has said he is open to a rematch with Martinez, he is now the frontrunner to land the Canelo comeback fight.

Speaking to La Hora del Boxeo, Martinez looked ahead to that match-up and said he will be ready and waiting for the winner.

“Canelo could win, Mbilli could win. Fighting either of those two would benefit me a lot. We’ll be ready to win.”

First up is Immanuwel Aleem – Martinez’s second attempt in a row at the WBC interim belt. Should he come through the American tonight in California, topping a Pro Box TV card, he will secure that prime position. Crawford has recently been in camp with the 30-year-old from Guatemala to help him prepare, and will undoubtedly do the same if the Canelo fight is made down the line.

Brendon McCullum (AP Photo)

The Brendon McCullum era at England came under intense scrutiny following explosive allegations about dressing-room culture during the disastrous The Ashes tour. Reports, primarily from Telegraph Sport, have painted a picture of a team environment that blurred the line between freedom and lack of discipline, raising serious questions about leadership, accountability, and professionalism.England’s defeat in The Ashes was more than just a loss, it was a systemic failure. Poor preparation, including the lack of meaningful warm-up matches, left the team underprepared for Australian conditions. The aggressive “Bazball” approach, once hailed as revolutionary, unravelled quickly after a heavy defeat in Perth, leaving England without a fallback plan.The report quoted by Telegraph sports highlighted the cultural issues within the dressing room which says that, ” There were players in the Ashes who felt McCullum was naturally drawn to those like him who enjoy a beer, a vape and a round of golf. Unintentionally it created a clique that became more apparent under the stress of an Ashes loss and there were players who felt a non-serious environment had cost them the opportunity of a lifetime in Australia.”

Off-Field Incidents Add Fuel to the Fire

The allegations gained traction amid a series of off-field controversies. Reports further suggested England players spent extended periods drinking during a mid-series break in Noosa, with some accounts claiming up to “six days” of socialising during a nine-day gap between Tests.Incidents involving Harry Brook further intensified scrutiny, including a late-night altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand prior to the Ashes for which he lied during the press conference. There were also reports of players frequenting casinos and being visibly intoxicated in public during the tour, reinforcing the narrative that off-field distractions contributed to England’s poor performances.This resulted as a loss for England Cricket Team (ECB) as the selection and fitness decisions compounded the crisis. Shoaib Bashir, long viewed as a key weapon, was deemed unfit for selection, while misplaced faith in Ollie Pope proved costly. The management of fast bowlers such as Mark Wood and Jofra Archer backfired, leaving England short of firepower across a demanding five-Test series.After review of the Ashes series, ECB chief Richard Gould changed the culture reported by Telegraph Sports which said,” The players will be disciplined if they are drunk in public, they must not put on social media anything to do with drinking alcohol and must tell the management their location after 9pm. There is a midnight curfew.”

How did McCullum save his job?

After the Ashes debacle, Stokes submitted a report explaining why England lost the Ashes, and according to it, the English captain blamed McCullum and the management. It is also believed that the two pointed fingers at each other during the review, which the ECB launched on the same day when the Sydney Test concluded.

Sri Lanka Tour: The Turning Point

With his job on the line, McCullum made a decisive move by joining England’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, despite initially planning to skip it. Arriving just days after the Ashes, he used the opportunity to show adaptability and commitment.He accepted stricter discipline rules introduced by Key and agreed to strengthen the coaching setup, including the return of Carl Hopkinson to address fielding concerns. The results were immediate. England regrouped, with Joe Root playing a pivotal role, and secured a series win that eased pressure on the management. Observers saw this as a defining moment, noting “it gave McCullum an opportunity… to prove he was willing to change.”World Cup Progress, But Questions RemainEngland carried that momentum into the World Cup, where there were clear signs of improvement. Harry Brook thrived in a new role at number three, while Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell added balance and promise to the side.However, the semi-final defeat to India exposed lingering issues under pressure. Despite progress, England once again fell short when it mattered most. As the campaign ultimately showed, “England still lost the match that mattered.”McCullum accepted his errors during the Ashes, and the talks between the two have since reached an agreement. The ECB also refrained from sacking McCullum due to the costs involved. The former New Zealand captain is contracted with England for another 18 months, and a sacking would prove costly for the ECB.

Football Focus’ Dion Dublin says he thinks “the referee got it wrong” and Manchester United should have been awarded a penalty when Amad Diallo appeared to be pulled back inside the box by Adrien Truffert.

READ MORE: Man Utd to make formal complaint over decisions