Five months after quietly committing to Gonzaga, Spanish forward Izan Almansa has been cleared by the NCAA and just in the nick of time, with Mark Few's team visiting Arkansas for Saturday's marquee exhibition matchup.
The 21-year-old was formally announced by Gonzaga on the school's social media platforms Friday afternoon, roughly 24 hours before the Bulldogs are set to take on John Calipari's Arkansas team in a 1 p.m. PT exhibition at Bud Walton Arena. More importantly, Almansa will now be at Few's disposal when 15th-ranked Gonzaga travels to Las Vegas nine days to open the 2026-27 campaign against Purdue in a nationally-televised game at T-Mobile Arena.
Almansa, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, will have three years of eligibility under the NCAA's new 5-in-5 eligibility model and cements what many believe could be one of the strongest frontcourts in the country this season, providing depth behind all-conference candidates Braden Huff and Massamba Diop.
The Murcia, Spain, native showed glimpses of his offensive game and rebounding during Gonzaga's Kraziness in the Kennel showcase, scoring seven points on 2 of 4 shooting while matching Huff with a scrimmage-high seven rebounds.
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Source: The Spokesman Review