The average height of a men’s basketball program will increase significantly next season.

That’s because Olivier Rioux, the tallest college basketball player ever, is transferring out of the University of Florida.

The 7-foot-9 20-year-old announced his decision in an Instagram post, where he thanked his coaches for “believing in me, for trusting me, and for pushing me to develop every single day,” as well as “trainers, managers, and support staff.”

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Rioux said he took time “to reflect on my jersey and what’s best for my future.”

“It’s truly hard to put into words what these last two years and this experience has meant to me. From being raised in the province of Quebec back home in Canada, to representing this incredible program, wearing these colors and competing at the highest level has been one of the greatest honors of my life…” Rioux wrote.

“Winning the national championship last year was a dream come true for all of us. It’s something we worked for every single day, and to experience that moment together is something I will cherish forever. I will take these memories with me for the rest of my life.

“To the alumni and Florida Victorious, thank you for building the legacy that we’re so proud to represent. And to my teammates, my brothers, thank you for every moment, every battle, every joke, and every memory. The bond we share is untouchable. And most importantly, thank you to all Gator Nation. Your energy, passion, and support mean everything to me. You’ve stood by me through it all, and I’m forever grateful to be a part of this family. This time together will always hold a special place in my heart. Until we meet again. Thank you, merci.”

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Rioux played sparingly in two years with the Gators, redshirting as a true freshman during the team’s national championship season and then getting on the court in mop-up duty this past season. He played 15 total minutes, finishing with seven points, six rebounds , and an assist.

Rioux became the tallest person to ever play college basketball when he made his debut in a 104-64 victory over North Florida last November. He scored three games later, making a free throw after getting fouled. He also recorded his first rebound.

Rioux is two inches taller than former NBA giants Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and three inches taller than popular big men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley.

Head coach Todd Golden gave Rioux the option of playing sparingly as a true freshman or taking a redshirt season and working on his game. Rioux chose the latter. After all four frontcourt players returned, Golden made it clear before the season that Rioux would only play late in blowouts. 

But Rioux doubled down on wanting to be at Florida and welcomed the challenge of playing against Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu, and Micah Handlogten in practice and behind them in games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday it is slackening restrictions on asylum applications set in place after an Afghan asylee allegedly murdered one West Virginia National Guardsman and gravely wounded another in Washington last fall.

The November incident near Farragut Square led President Donald Trump to crack down on allowing asylum seekers into the country, and the administration hammered more lax Biden-era policies that allowed Afghans such as the suspect into the country.

A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the stringent screening process itself will not change, nor will restrictions on emigrants from a list of “high-risk” countries.

“Under the leadership of President Trump, maximum screening and vetting for all aliens continues unabated,” the spokesperson said.

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“USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) has lifted the adjudicative hold for thoroughly screened asylum seekers from non-high-risk countries. This move allows resources to focus on continued rigorous national security and public safety vetting for higher-risk cases.”

Some of the 39 countries the administration deemed lacking in the provision of adequate screening and vetting information to U.S. officials still include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Niger, Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Sierra Leone; the latter being where two different migrants named Jalloh, accused of recent violent crimes in Virginia, hailed from.

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“Since taking office, President Trump has prioritized national security and public safety by implementing a series of executive orders and proclamations that mandate strict screening and vetting of foreign nationals seeking entry or immigration benefits,” USCIS said in a statement.

The agency said that security gaps in applications for naturalization or permanent residency exposed serious public safety risks and endangered the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.

“[A]pplications were approved and individuals were naturalized who should not have been,” the agency said.

The latest move is expected to have limited impact on the situation, according to The Hill newspaper, but will still ease the overall restrictive environment.

Vice President JD Vance, who converted to the Roman Catholic faith as an adult, will be releasing a book about the story of his conversion later this spring.

HarperCollins Publishers imprint Harper told The Associated Press Tuesday that his book, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” will be released June 16. Vance is among many millennials and members of Gen Z who are rejecting the secularism of recent years and converting specifically to the Catholic Church.

“The story of how I regained my faith, of course, only happened because I had lost it to begin with,” Vance, 41, said in a statement to the National Catholic Reporter (NCR). “The interesting question that hangs over this book, and over my mind, is why I ever strayed from the path. Why the Christian faith of my youth failed to properly take root.”

NCR suggested the move to release a book may indicate Vance’s political ambitions. Vance is widely considered a likely 2028 candidate for the Republican nomination.

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“Presidential hopefuls often, though not always, release books before launching a campaign, giving them a moment in the spotlight before new audiences and a chance to crystallize their message embarking on a campaign,” the news outlet observed, noting that many potential Democratic contenders either already have published recent books or are in the process of doing so. 

HarperCollins previously released Vance’s smash-hit “Hillbilly Elegy,” his 2016 memoir about his upbringing in Ohio. The book was later adapted into a movie on Netflix.

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Vance has reportedly worked on the book since 2019, the same year he converted to Catholicism. He has spoken out multiple times about the need for Christian values to restore America.

In 2025, he used Catholic theology to defend the Trump administration’s deportation policies, citing a concept from medieval Catholic theology known in Latin as “ordo amoris,” which he has said describes a hierarchy of care: prioritizing the family first, then the neighbor, community, fellow citizens and lastly those from other regions.

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The Associated Press noted Vance would be the first vice president “in recent memory” to release a book while still in office.

Vance was elected to the U.S. Senate in Ohio in 2022 and was tapped as President Donald Trump’s running mate on the winning 2024 ticket. He took office at age 40 as one of the youngest vice presidents in American history.

Vance met with Pope Francis last April, one day before the pontiff’s death.