3 days ago
Iowa basketball transfer named to prestigious foreign squad
Iowa basketball transfer named to prestigious foreign squad
As Iowa basketball continues its offseason restructuring under new head coach Ben McCollum, it was announced Wednesday that transfer forward Alvaro Folgueiras will represent Spain on the Men's U20 squad at the U20EuroBasket 2025 European Championship next month.
The European Championship will run from July 12 to 20, with Spain playing three games within the first three days. Similar to what piqued the Hawkeyes' interest in the forward, Folgueiras' overall game, combined with his athleticism and versatility, makes him a dangerous weapon for Spain.
In his breakout 2024-25 season last year with Robert Morris, he averaged 14.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 54.8% from the field, 41.3% from 3-point territory, and 78.4% from the free-throw line.
Given that the Big Ten is one of the more physical conferences in the nation regarding its style of play, more competition against international bigs should help Folgueiras transition into becoming a center that can evenly match up against the conference's elites.
The 6-foot-9 Spaniard will be a critical piece of what McCollum and the Hawkeyes hope to accomplish this upcoming season, as he can score and be a prominent defensive presence.
Folgueiras is expected to become a focal point of the McCollum offense at the four and five spot alongside guard Bennett Stirtz. His passing ability can also play well into what McCollum will want to do on offense. His 3-point range will also help keep teams with traditional bigs out of synch, which should open his offensive arsenal.
As the excitement toward Iowa's new era increases by the day, the Hawkeyes' 2025-26 season will ironically kick off on Nov. 4 against Robert Morris from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
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