It was only a matter of time, but that does not make it sting any less.
Alvaro Folgueiras has officially entered the NCAA transfer portal.
The 6-foot-10 forward from Malaga, Spain, who transferred to Iowa from Robert Morris ahead of the 2025-26 season, will explore his options elsewhere after one season in Iowa City. And what a season it was.
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Folgueiras appeared in all 37 games for the Hawkeyes, averaging 8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 50% shooting from the field. He scored in double figures 16 times, and Iowa posted a remarkable 15-1 record in those games. He finished third on the team with 81 assists and fourth with 32 steals, quietly becoming one of the more versatile players in the rotation.
But the stats will never tell the full story of what Alvaro Folgueiras meant to this program and the fanbase.
The Shot
Down 72-70 against defending national champion and No. 1 overall seed Florida with 8.9 seconds left, Iowa called timeout. Bennett Stirtz brought the ball up court, broke the Gators’ full-court pressure, and found Folgueiras in the right corner. One dribble back to set his feet behind the arc. A release so pure it looked like a shooting drill. Nothing but net. 73-72 Iowa. 4.5 seconds left. Florida never got a shot off.
That three-pointer sent Iowa to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. It knocked out the reigning national champions on their home state’s floor. It was the first No. 1 seed to fall in the 2026 tournament. And it was hit by a freshman from Spain who half the fanbase couldn’t spell two months earlier.
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After the shot, Folgueiras pointed to the sky in honor of his late father, who passed away when Alvaro was nine years old. Then he ran into the arms of his mother, Beatriz Campos, who had flown from Spain to watch him play in person for the first time in two years. If you didn’t tear up, you weren’t paying attention.
The Tournament Run
Folgueiras didn’t just show up for one shot. He averaged 11 points per game in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 14 against both Clemson and Florida before pouring in 16 on 6-of-7 shooting in the Sweet 16 win over Nebraska. He was a legitimate factor in Iowa’s deepest March Madness run in a generation.
And then there was the other play against Nebraska. With Iowa clinging to a three-point lead in the final minute, the Huskers came out of a timeout with only four players on the floor. Folgueiras saw it immediately, sprinted toward the basket, caught Kael Combs’ 70-foot inbound pass, and threw down an and-one dunk that put Iowa up six and effectively sealed the game. Fred Hoiberg took the blame. Hawkeye fans took a screenshot.
Shortly thereafter, he put Nebraska’s Berke Buyuktuncel on a poster for the exclamation point.
Relive the Moments
If you want to watch it all one more time (and honestly, why wouldn’t you?), here are the full highlight reels from the two biggest wins of Folgueiras’ Iowa career.
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Iowa 73, Florida 72 (Round of 32):
Iowa 77, Nebraska 71 (Sweet 16):
Why He’s Leaving
The writing had been on the wall for a few weeks. Unlike many of Iowa’s key contributors, Folgueiras did not have a prior relationship with head coach Ben McCollum from the Drake years. Reports indicated he missed a team workout earlier this week. His playing time was inconsistent down the stretch — just 9 minutes in the Elite Eight loss to Illinois — and with Iowa bringing in portal additions and young talent, the path to increased minutes was unclear.
Folgueiras is expected to draw significant interest from programs across the country, including Kentucky, which recruited him during the previous portal cycle. Wherever he lands, he’ll bring a shooter’s touch, surprising versatility for his size, and a fearlessness in big moments that you simply cannot teach.
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Thank You, Alvaro
One season. One unforgettable shot. A lifetime of memories for Hawkeye fans who had waited 27 years to see their team in the Sweet 16.
We will always have that corner three in Tampa. We will always have the image of the ball hanging in the air while the Florida crowd held its breath. We will always have Folgueiras catching Nebraska with four defenders and throwing down the dagger. We will always have the celebration, the tears, the mother’s embrace.
“March is for dreamers. And there is no better dreamers than us.”
Thank you, Alvaro. You made our dream a reality. Wherever you go next, Iowa City will be cheering for you. You gave us something that can never be taken away. Keep chasing your dreams big man.
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Go Hawks. And go get yours.
