> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Well-Traveled Spanish Forward Izan Almansa Commits to Gonzaga - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/well-traveled-spanish-forward-izan-almansa-commits-gonzaga-bulldogs/ - Published: 2026-05-15T02:11:46.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T06:14:47.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: News, Analysis, Gonzaga Men's Basketball, Izan Almansa Continuing to sink its teeth into the international player pool, the Gonzaga Bulldogs reportedly received a commitment from 6-10 forward Izan Almansa, who, at just 20 years old, has already played at several competitive levels in his basketball career. The Spaniard’s stops range from Overtime Elite to the Australian league to sitting in the NBA Draft green room last summer. Because of this, Almansa’s eligibility is still a question mark heading into the fall, and there’s a chance his commitment to the Zags is all for naught if the NCAA doesn’t distribute him a waiver. GU had a messy eligibility situation as recently as last year when Tyon Grant-Foster needed an injunction hearing to finally get on the court. But for the time being, Almansa is GU’s third new addition this offseason, joining Massamba Diop and Houston transfer Isiah Harwell. If he is cleared to suit up for the Bulldogs, Almansa becomes a considerable addition to the roster, bringing valuable depth behind Diop and Braden Huff in the frontcourt, which was something the team did not have last season. The biggest attributes Almansa brings are on the glass and versatility with the ball in his hands. At nearly every level, Almansa has racked up rebounds, an area in which the Bulldogs dominated most of their opponents last season. But he also has strong court vision in the mid-post, similar to Graham Ike, and can facilitate shots for others when he draws attention. When given the opportunity, Almansa has produced with his moves on the block, opting from hook shots to spin moves to floaters down low. He has even showcased an ability to knock down shots from the outside, although on low volume. Almansa has several connections with Gonzaga, as he and starting point guard Mario Saint-Supéry played together with Spain’s senior national team during FIBA Eurobasket qualifiers in November 2024\. Another native of Spain, GU assistant coach Jorge Sanz, was on the coaching staff of the U-17 World Cup team in 2022 that Almansa played for. As far as former Zags go throughout Almansa’s various stops, he has played alongside Hunter Sallis (2025 Summer League with Philadelphia 76ers) and David Stockton, Jeremy Pargo, and Admon Gilder with the NBA G League Ignite in 2023-24. Having as well-traveled a resume as Almansa does, his case to play in the NCAA is unique, but not foreign. Several players who have competed in the same leagues around the world as him have recently received eligibility to play college basketball in America. The first former G-League player to obtain NCAA eligibility was Thierry Darlan, who also played on Ignite with Almansa, and competed against the Zags for three games last year as a member of Santa Clara. And James Nnaji, who was the 31st overall pick in the 2023 Draft by the Charlotte Hornets and later had his rights traded to the New York Knicks but has never appeared in an NBA game, signed with Baylor last December and played in 18 games with the Bears. He also appeared in Liga ACB, like Almansa. It’s yet another example of the current volatile climate of college basketball, which GU head coach Mark Few has publicly resented on several occasions. But Gonzaga is now banking on Almansa to be part of the team’s roster next season, even though his situation is “complex” and “far from official,” according to the Spokesman Review. His journey began playing in youth leagues in his hometown of Murcia, Spain. By the time Almansa became a teenager, he was recruited by Real Madrid, where he played with the club’s U-16 unit for two seasons. Playing for the national U-17 team in 2022, Almansa led Spain to its first-ever silver medal, and he became the first non-American to win tournament MVP after posting 12.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.1 steals a game while shooting 55% from the field. A few weeks after that, he suited up for the U-18 squad in Turkey for the FIBA European Championship. Almansa averaged a double-double again (15.7 ppg and 10.7 rpg) with the same stock totals, as he was the first player to win MVP honors at both events during Spain’s run to a gold medal. Going on to win MVP again with the U-19 World Cup title team in 2023, Almansa logged 16.9 points and 7.1 boards for Spain. He most recently competed at the junior level with the U-20 Eurobasket unit, where he averaged 15.7 points and 6.9 rebounds before getting run with the senior circuit the last two years. Almansa also competed in the inaugural season for Overtime Elite in 2021, which was originally a professional basketball circuit for high school-aged players. He played for Team OTE for a year before the league was restructured, and then was drafted by the YNG Dreamerz for the 2022-23 campaign. Averaging 9.3 points and 8.6 boards, Almansa led the Dreamerz to the championship series, where they would lose to now-NBA guards Ausar and Amen Thompson of the City Reapers. In June 2023, Almansa signed with Ignite, where he averaged 11.7 points and 7.4 rebounds on 54.3% shooting in 48 games. He was invited to compete in the Rising Stars Challenge and the G League Next Up Game during that season’s NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. Initially, Almansa declared for the 2024 NBA Draft after his season with Ignite, but withdrew 10 days before selections commenced. So instead of shooting for the NBA again that summer, Almansa inked a deal with the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League, joining as part of the circuit’s ‘Next Stars’ program. During a season where he totaled 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds a game for the Wildcats, Almansa tested positive for cannabis and was subsequently banned by the NBL for a month. He would declare for the NBA Draft again and was invited to the green room in New York City after the 2025 first round concluded. But after Almansa was the only one out of 12 prospects in the green room to not be drafted, he signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Sixers and played four games with them in the NBA’s Summer League. Although there are hoops to jump through, Gonzaga is counting on Almansa being on their bench for the 2026-27 campaign. If things go as planned concerning his eligibility, Almansa will be yet another piece on the roster who has garnered NBA attention, and a significant auxiliary player in the Zags’ quest for a deep run next March.