Gonzaga’s frontcourt got a jolt of good news Friday afternoon. Izan Almansa, the 6-foot-10 forward from Spain, has been cleared by the NCAA and is now eligible to play when the Bulldogs face Arkansas in Saturday’s exhibition opener.
The school announced the news on social media, pairing the update with a practice clip of Almansa burying a long jumper. It’s another important checkpoint for Mark Few’s team, coming after 23-year-old French point guard Nathan de Sousa was cleared in late September. de Sousa had arrived in Spokane a month earlier and spent the wait getting ready for this moment.
Almansa committed to Gonzaga on May 12 and brings three seasons of college eligibility. At 21, he arrives with a résumé that’s anything but traditional for a freshman-class newcomer.
The Spanish big man came to the United States for high school basketball, then went the professional route with the NBA G League Ignite in 2023-24. There, he shared a locker room with former Zags Jeremy Pargo, David Stockton and Admon Gilder.
He appeared in 46 games for the Ignite, averaging 10.5 points and 7.1 rebounds, and also earned an invitation to NBA All-Star Weekend to represent the G League in the Rising Stars event.
From there, Almansa headed to Australia and played for the Perth Wildcats in the NBL before declaring for the 2025 NBA draft. After going undrafted, he returned to Spain and suited up for Real Madrid in Liga Endesa last season before leaving the club and choosing Gonzaga in mid-May.
Even before Friday’s clearance, Almansa had been working with the Bulldogs in practice and made an appearance at Kraziness in the Kennel. In that setting, he posted seven points, seven rebounds and one assist in 14 minutes, while earning praise from Few for his feel for the game and work on the boards.
"He does a great job," Few said. "He's got an incredible feel for the game, kind of like [Killian] Tillie had.
The ball just kind of falls to him, but we definitely need him on the glass. Need him to be a little bit more physical, a little more assertive.
But he's somebody who does everything really, really well. Doesn't have a weakness."
At Gonzaga, Almansa is projected to be the third big behind starters Massamba Diop and Braden Huff, with the flexibility to play either frontcourt spot. His rebounding should be a real lift, and the Bulldogs also see him as a productive low-post scorer and a solid defender near the rim.
With Almansa cleared, 14 of Gonzaga’s 15 players are now eligible. The only holdout is Florida State transfer forward Chauncey Wiggins.
That group is expected to be available Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville against John Calipari and Arkansas. Tipoff is set for 1:00 PM PT, with the game airing on SECN+.
In Other News...
Gonzagas Arkansas Exhibition Could Reveal What Mark Few Really Has
The build toward Gonzagas 2026-27 roster is starting to look more tangible, and the exhibition against Arkansas should offer an early read on how the pieces fit. Javon Bennett and Xaivian Lee are part of the conversation as the Bulldogs sort through backcourt roles, while the frontcourt picture also includes Izan Almansa and Chauncey Wiggins, two additions who give Mark Few more size, skill and lineup flexibility than he had a year ago. Even in a scrimmage setting, this is the kind of matchup that can tell a lot about how much offense the Bulldogs can create and how far their defensive ceiling might rise against a quality opponent.
The bigger question is not just who is on the floor, but how Gonzaga chooses to use them. The staff is weighing shooting improvement, positional combinations and which groups can hold up when the opposition gets physical and the pace changes, and Arkansas should pressure those ideas right away. For a team trying to define its next version, this is the sort of early test that can expose whether the roster has the balance to score efficiently and defend well enough when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]