Alvaro Folgueiras

Alvaro Folgueiras
No. 7 – Iowa Hawkeyes
PositionPower forward
LeagueBig Ten Conference
Personal information
Born (2005-04-01) April 1, 2005 (age 20)
NationalitySpanish
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High schoolDME Academy
(Daytona Beach, Florida)
College
Career highlights

Álvaro Folgueiras Campos (born April 1, 2005) is a Spanish college basketball player for the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten Conference. He previously played for the Robert Morris Colonials of the Horizon League.

Early life

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Folgueiras began his basketball career playing for Unicaja Baloncesto in Spain before leaving for the United States to play at the DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida.[1][2] After spending a season at the DME Academy, Folgueiras committed to play college basketball at Robert Morris University.[3]

College career

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Folgueiras played mostly as a reserve as a freshman, before increasing his production the following year.[4] On December 21, 2024, in a game against Saint Francis, he recorded a double-double, totaling 27 points and 16 rebounds, to go along with four steals, three blocks, and four assists.[5] As a sophomore, he was named the Horizon League Player of the Year.[6]

On April 20, 2025, Folgueiras announced his decision to transfer to the University of Iowa to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes.[7]

Style of play

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Folgueiras is a stretch forward, excelling in both post play and three-point shooting. He is also an exceptional rebounder. During his time at Robert Morris, commentator Chris Shovlin began referring to him by the nickname El Pulpo Fol ("Fol the Octopus" in Spanish) after noting that his rebounding proficiency made it seem as though he had extra limbs. The nickname also doubled as an homage to El Pulpo Paul, the octopus who famously predicted matches during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was won by Folgueiras's native Spain.

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023–24 Robert Morris 32 6 17.8 .456 .286 .737 4.5 1.2 .4 .7 5.3
2024–25 Robert Morris 34 34 29.1 .544 .415 .783 8.9 3.1 1.3 1.1 13.8

References

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  1. ^ Calderón, Juan (July 27, 2022). "Álvaro Folgueiras confirma su salida del Unicaja y se marcha a la DME Academy de Estados Unidos". Diario Sur (in Spanish). Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  2. ^ Olías, José Manuel (July 27, 2022). "Álvaro Folgueiras deja el Unicaja para marcharse a la DME Academy en Florida". Málaga Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  3. ^ Ortega, Paco (May 24, 2023). "Álvaro Folgueiras da el salto a la NCAA - Radio Marca Málaga". Radio Marca Málaga (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  4. ^ Mackall, Dave (March 2, 2025). "Folgueiras' health a concern for top-seeded Robert Morris as Horizon League Tournament approaches". TribLIVE.com. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  5. ^ "Alvaro Folgueiras' 27-point double-double leads Robert Morris to win over St. Francis". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  6. ^ Borst, Adam (March 3, 2025). "Robert Morris Earns Multiple Horizon League Awards and Accolades". Pittsburgh Sports Now. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  7. ^ "Report: Robert Morris' Alvaro Folgueiras transferring to Iowa". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
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