Florida basketball player Olivier Rioux, the Gators’ 7-foot-9-inch center, has taken a key step in his basketball and branding journey, signing this week with Athletes in Power Sports Management, according to On3’s Keith Niebuhr.

Athletes in Power Sports Management is a global agency led by certified NBA agent and former UMass coach Peter Yannopoulos.

Yannopoulos, a Montreal native with decades of experience in basketball, media and marketing, is the president and founding partner of the agency. He’s known Rioux since he was just 12 years old.

“I’ve been following Olivier since he was 12 years old here in Montreal,” Yannopoulos said. “We’re both from the same city and I’ve been involved with basketball for over 30 years. Ollie was 7-foot-3 when he was like 13 years old. Just followed his trajectory. Got to know his parents. And his brother. And just built a relationship that way and just supported him along his journey. He just kept getting better and better and we stayed close over the years.”

Yannopoulos continued, “We decided to collaborate together and Ollie said he wanted me to represent him. It’s a great fit both ways.”

Athletes in Power’s mission is to “empower athletes globally by providing exceptional representation, career development, and personalized support that aligns athletic and financial potential.”

With Rioux, Yannopoulos sees an opportunity to do exactly that.

Last year, Rioux took a developmental redshirt season, serving on the Gators’ scout team. Though Florida returns a deep frontcourt from its 2025 national championship team–including Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten–those around Rioux believe more opportunities on the court are coming.

Off the court, his agency is already working on brand partnerships.

“We are currently working with a couple of brands, trying to identify some partnerships that really align with Ollie’s values,” Yannopoulos said. “He’s somebody that’s very proud of his hometown here in Montreal and in Canada. He wants to work with some companies there and also North America.”

Rioux became internationally known for his height, setting a Guinness World Record for being the world’s tallest teenager. But Yannopoulos believes Rioux’s value goes far beyond that.

“Ollie is a unique talent,” Yannopoulos said. “He’s very tall but he’s a very skilled and talented basketball player and athlete who just keeps getting better and better.”

Yannopoulos went on to say, “A lot of brands want to associate themselves with a rising talented player like Ollie. I can tell you Ollie’s brand is growing every single day.”

With his combination of size, personality and potential, Rioux is positioned to become one of the most marketable young athletes in college basketball.

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball’s Olivier Rioux signs with Athletes in Power agent