Gonzaga gets major boost ahead of Arkansas exhibition as Izan Almansa is cleared to play

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs received another piece of good news ahead of Saturday's exhibition opener against Arkansas, with Izan Almansa getting his eligibility cleared by the NCAA.

Gonzaga announced Almansa officially in a social media post on Friday afternoon, which included a clip of the 6'10 forward making a long jumpshot in practice. He joins 23-year-old French point guard Nathan de Sousa in being cleared by the NCAA after a long wait. de Sousa was cleared in late September, after arriving in Spokane a month prior.

Almansa, a 21-year-old big man from Spain who committed to Gonzaga back on May 12, will have three seasons of college eligibility.

Who is Izan Almansa?

Almansa took a very circuitous route to playing college basketball. The native Spaniard came to the US to play high school basketball, and opted to play professionally for the NBA G League Ignite in the 2023-24 season, where he teamed up with a trio of former Zags in Jeremy Pargo, David Stockton, and Admon Gilder.

The big man played 46 games with the Ignite, averaging 10.5 points and 7.1 rebounds while getting invited to NBA All-Star Weekend to represent the G League in the Rising Stars event.

Almansa then took his talent to Australia to play for the Perth Wildcats in the NBL, and declared for the 2025 NBA draft following the season.

After going undrafted, Almansa returned home to Spain and played for Real Madrid in Liga Endesa this past season - leaving the club and committing to Gonzaga in mid-May.

Fit at Gonzaga

Even though he wasn't cleared until Friday, Almansa was eligible to practice with Gonzaga and even got a chance to play at Kraziness in the Kennel, where he scored seven points with seven rebounds and one assist in 14 minutes - drawing praise from coach Few for his high basketball IQ and tenacity on the glass.

"He does a great job," Few said. "He's got an incredible feel for the game, kind of like [Killian] Tillie had. The ball just kind of falls to him, but we definitely need him on the glass. Need him to be a little bit more physical, a little more assertive. But he's somebody who does everything really, really well. Doesn't have a weakness."

Almansa will operate as Gonzaga's third big behind starters Massamba Diop and Braden Huff, capable of playing either frontcourt position. His rebounding will provide a huge boost for the Zags, and he projects as an efficient low post scorer and capable defender down on the block.

What's next

Almansa's clearance means 14 of Gonzaga's 15 players are eligible as of this writing, with the lone ineligible player Florida State transfer forward Chauncey Wiggins.

All 14 players, including Almansa, are expected to suit up for the Zags on Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville, when the team takes on John Calipari and Arkansas.

The game is set to tip at 1:00 PM PT, and will be broadcast on SECN+.