Overview
- Rioux, a 7-foot-9, 305-pound transfer from Florida and native of Terrebonne, Quebec, logged 18 minutes and produced 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in UC Irvine’s 92–66 win over Chapman.
- Early in the second half he threw a one-handed dunk from behind the backboard that drew widespread attention and a viral clip of the play.
- The performance was efficient—Rioux shot 6 of 9 from the floor and added a block—but it came against a lower-division opponent in nonconference play, so the sample size is small.
- Coaches and observers say the bigger questions are his stamina and how head coach Russ Turner will allocate his minutes, with the team considering short, high-impact bursts versus longer shifts.
- UC Irvine sees Rioux as a potential boost in its bid to return to the NCAA Tournament and will test his role and conditioning in coming games, starting with the team’s next nonconference matchup.