When Alvaro Folgueiras is locked in, Iowa looks like a different team - and not just on the stat sheet. The former Horizon League Player of the Year showed exactly why the Hawkeyes went after him in the transfer portal during Wednesday night’s nail-biter against USC.
Folgueiras dropped 14 points, grabbed five boards, and came up with a key steal in a 73-72 win that went down to the wire. But the box score only tells part of the story.
It was the timing of his plays - clutch buckets late, timely contests on defense - that helped Iowa hold off a late USC surge. It was also his second-best offensive efficiency rating in Big Ten play this season when logging 20 or more minutes, per KenPom.
That’s the version of Folgueiras Iowa’s been waiting for.
Let’s be clear - this season’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for the Robert Morris transfer. He tore through non-conference opponents early on, but his production against top-tier competition has been inconsistent.
Against Tier A opponents, KenPom has him at an offensive rating of just 67.2. But when he’s on - like he was against USC - he becomes a legitimate difference-maker on both ends of the floor.
Head coach Ben McCollum didn’t mince words after the win: “That’s the Al that we needed and expected,” he said. “If we can get him to play like that, it’s a game-changer for us because it gives us so much more leverage.”
McCollum’s right. Folgueiras gives Iowa something they don’t have elsewhere on the roster - a versatile forward with size, feel, and the ability to stretch the floor or create off the bounce.
He’s not just a catch-and-shoot guy either. He can come off screens, pop out of pick-and-rolls, and make reads that open up space for scorers like Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks.
And when he brings that same energy to the defensive end? Iowa’s ceiling rises.
Folgueiras has had his growing pains in Big Ten play, especially in ball-screen coverage and defensive rotations. But against USC, he was dialed in. He used his length to contest shots at the rim, battled on the boards, and helped limit second-chance opportunities - all critical for a Hawkeyes team that lacks a true rim protector.
The numbers back it up. According to Hoop Explorer, Big Ten teams are shooting 67.5% at the rim when Folgueiras is off the floor.
That number drops to 59.8% when he’s on. That’s not just a marginal difference - that’s the kind of impact that changes how opponents attack the paint.
“He’s super important,” Stirtz said recently. “We don’t have a guy like that who can change the game offensively and defensively.”
Still, it comes down to consistency. Folgueiras has shown flashes - the tools are there.
But Iowa needs more than flashes. They need him to string together performances like the one against USC, especially with a tough road trip to the Pacific Northwest looming.
Next up: Oregon and Washington. Folgueiras will likely spend plenty of time matched up with Oregon’s 6-foot-10 forward Kwame Evans Jr., who’s a focal point of the Ducks’ offense.
Then it’s on to Washington, where he’ll face one of the most physical rebounding tandems in the country in Hannes Steinbach and Franck Kepnang. That’s a serious test for any big, let alone one still finding his rhythm in a new conference.
Offensively, the shooting numbers haven’t been where Iowa needs them to be. Folgueiras is shooting just 31.6% on spot-up threes in Big Ten play - a far cry from the 47.9% clip he posted last season in the Horizon League.
And when he’s on the floor, Iowa’s team three-point percentage drops to 30.4%, compared to 38.3% when he’s off. That’s not all on him, but it underscores the need for him to find a groove from deep.
McCollum still believes in his upside. “He’s doing a much better job, obviously an elite passer, and he’s actually a lot better finisher than he’s shown,” the coach said earlier this week. “He’s continuing to turn the corner, and we’re hopeful he really makes huge jumps for these last 11 games.”
That kind of leap isn’t out of the question. Folgueiras went on a tear last February at Robert Morris, scoring 16 or more in six straight games, including a 35-point explosion at Northern Kentucky.
He was the KenPom MVP in four of those contests. If he can channel that same stretch-run magic in the Big Ten, Iowa’s NCAA Tournament hopes get a serious boost.
For now, the blueprint is simple: keep Folgueiras engaged, active, and confident. When he plays with that edge - when he’s spacing the floor, making smart reads, and battling on the defensive end - he unlocks a version of Iowa that can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the conference.