The world’s tallest teenager might have to wait a year to become the world’s tallest college basketball player.

Florida coach Todd Golden said Thursday that Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 freshman who owns a spot in the Guinness record book, is planning to redshirt. Had the popular Canadian played in even one game, he would have burned one of his four seasons of college eligibility.

Instead, Rioux, 18, will spend the 2024-25 season practicing with teammates — and still be a freshman next fall.

“I should have made that clear (before),” Golden said. “Honestly, it’s put him in a tough situation. He’s sitting over there at the end of games and everybody’s yelling at him and trying to get him out there. They just hadn’t understood that that was our potential plan for him.

“So that’s where we’re at at this moment. I’m not saying that’s 100% going to be the plan. We’ll continue to talk to him and see if he changes what he wants to do. But as of right now, that’s the plan that we’re going to have with him as we move forward.”

Florida students chanted for “Oli” in both of the team’s home games this season. Golden emptied the bench in the final minutes of an 86-62 victory over Grambling State on Monday night and even said a few words to Rioux during the chaotic scene.

“I was just explaining to him, ’Hey, the reason why I’m not putting you in right now is what we’ve talked about a little bit,’” Golden said. “This wasn’t a choice that I made for him. This is something that people (from) our program have talked with him and his family and his parents, his AAU coach and just kind of trying to figure out what the best route for him is.

“I just went up to him and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m not trying to be disrespectful with you. I’m just not trying to burn your year putting you in for 30 seconds.’”

Rioux handled the decision well, Golden said.

Watkins quicker than Clark to 1,000 points

JuJu Watkins has heard plenty of comparisons to Cheryl Miller and Caitlin Clark over the past two seasons.

On Friday, they came up again as the Southern California sophomore guard reached another milestone.

Watkins reached 1,000 career points Friday afternoon during the second half of the third-ranked Trojans’ 81-50 victory over Santa Clara.

Watkins achieved the milestone in her 38th game — the second fewest games in NCAA Division I history — when she hit a jumper with 6:47 remaining in the third quarter.

“I’m not taking anything for granted. Very blessed to be in this position. This is great, something to build off and continue to work on,” said Watkins, who scored 22 points.

LSU’s Maree Jackson (1976-78), Oregon State’s Carol Menken (1979-81) and New Orleans’ Sandra Hodge (1981-84) all reached the mark in 37 games. Weber State’s Kathy Miller and Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne also did it in 38 games.

Watkins reached the mark 20 games quicker than Miller, who is USC’s career scoring leader at 3,018 points. She also did it in two fewer games than Clark, who holds the Division I career mark with 3,951 points.

“When you break a record at USC, it hits a little different because the people you break the record from are so great. JuJu belongs in that conversation, and we’re all comfortable in saying it. It was the great Cheryl Miller who was next,” coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.

Watkins has 1,006 points at USC and is averaging 26.5 points. Clark had 978 points and was averaging 25.7 points in her first 38 games.

Watkins set the national record for scoring by a freshman last season with 920 points. She is the 30th player in USC history to reach 1,000 points.

Kiyan Anthony follows in dad’s footsteps

Kiyan Anthony is following in his father’s footsteps. He’s going to play basketball at Syracuse.

Carmelo Anthony’s son — a highly touted shooting guard from Long Island Lutheran High — made it official on Friday, two years after the Orange offered him a scholarship.

Kiyan Anthony is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard and generally considered the top recruit in New York state as well as one of the nation’s top prospects. Syracuse had to beat out Southern California to get the commitment.

“At the end of the day, only one could stay,” Kiyan Anthony said on his father’s “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast, with his mother La La Anthony seated next to him as well for the announcement.

He put on a Syracuse cap, then hugged his parents.

“Now we can get to working,” Carmelo Anthony said.