SPOKANE, Wash. — Just one day before Gonzaga’s first official exhibition game, head coach Mark Few announced that Spanish forward Izan Almansa received a waiver from the NCAA and will be eligible to play for the Zags this season.
The 6-foot-10, 21-year-old forward originally committed to Gonzaga in May and received NCAA approval this week.
Almansa has already experienced a basketball journey that has taken him across multiple professional leagues. Most recently, he played for Real Madrid in Spain, seeing action in both Liga ACB and EuroLeague competition.
Almansa was once considered one of the top international prospects in his age group. The Murcia, Spain, native built his reputation through standout performances in FIBA youth competition, earning MVP honors at multiple international tournaments while helping Spain compete against some of the world’s top young talent.
Before returning to Spain, Almansa spent time in the United States playing for NBA G League Ignite during the 2023-24 season. He averaged 10.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game with Ignite and later participated in the NBA Rising Stars event during All-Star Weekend.
He also played professionally for the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s National Basketball League before returning to Real Madrid for the 2025-26 campaign.
Almansa briefly entered the NBA draft process and later played for the Philadelphia 76ers during NBA Summer League action after going undrafted.
Almansa joins a Gonzaga frontcourt that already includes returning forward Braden Huff and Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop.
No. 15 Gonzaga will play at No. 12 Arkansas on Saturday at 1 p.m. Pacific time on SEC Network+. The Zags return home next week to host Lewis-Clark State in their final exhibition game before opening the regular season. Gonzaga’s game against Lewis-Clark State will air on NonStop Local KHQ and stream on SWXLocalSports.com.