The second round of the 2027 FIBA World Cup European qualifiers begins in late August, and it means a member of the Gonzaga Bulldogs will be away from Spokane – for the second year in a row.
Izan Almansa, who committed to the Zags back in May – but is still working through NCAA eligibility – is one of 15 players named to the Spanish Senior National Team who will fight for a spot in the 2028 Winter Olympics later this summer.
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Spain, which went 5-1 in first-round games, will take on Portugal in Zaragoza on Friday, August 28, and Greece a few days later on Monday, August 31, in Athens.
The next scheduled game for Spain is Nov. 26, although it is expected Almansa will be with Gonzaga at that time.
Former Gonzaga guard Mario Saint-Supery, who left the team earlier this month to play for Valencia, is among the 15 players on Spain’s roster – as well as former Michigan center Aday Mara and former Cincinnati big man Baba Miller, who were both selected in the 2026 NBA draft.
Almansa’s role at Gonzaga
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34). | Photo by Myk Crawford
Almansa is slated to be Gonzaga’s third big this upcoming season behind returning senior Braden Huff and Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop. Almansa grew up in Spain but played high school basketball with OTE in 2022-23, before joining the G League Ignite in the 2023-24 season, where he averaged 10.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 46 games.
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Almansa then went overseas to Australia to play for the Perth Wildcats – averaging 7.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 29 games – before declaring for the 2025 NBA draft, where he went undrafted despite an invitation to the green room ahead of the second round.
That led the 6’10 big man back to Spain, where he played 23 games with Real Madrid this past season, serving as a reserve center and averaging 4.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in just under nine minutes per game.
Almansa’s rebounding, physicality, and passing have made him an appealing college target for many years, and at 21 years old, he should have multiple years of eligibility remaining.
The experience playing for the Spanish national team will only help boost Almansa ahead of his first collegiate season, and he showed promise during the first round games – averaging 7.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in 19.5 minutes while shooting 82.4% (14-17) on two-pointers and 80% (12-15) from the free throw line.
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While it’s not ideal to have Almansa missing time with Gonzaga before his first season – especially since he still has not been cleared to practice thanks to the NCAA – the chance to represent Spain and play alongside Mara, Miller, and NBA vets like Santi Aldama and Willy Hernangomez will make him a better player for coach Few’s team in the new-look Pac-12 in 2026-27.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as Gonzaga commit Izan Almansa earns major opportunity with Spain.
