It has been an extremely busy summer for new Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras.
Folgueiras began the offseason by transferring to the Iowa program from Robert Morris after spending two seasons with the Colonials.
During his time with Robert Morris, Folgueiras went from a solid bench contributor to a full-time starter and the 2024 Horizon League Player of the Year.
Last season for the Colonials, Folgueiras averaged 14.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
Shortly after transferring to the University of Iowa, Folgueiras got the call to play for Spain in the FIBA Under-20 EuroBasket Tournament this past summer.
Spain struggled throughout the tournament, and finished in eight place.
Folgueiras averaged a near-double-double for the tournament, averaging 11.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, and added 4.1 assists per game.
Now back in Iowa City and preparing for next season, Folgueiras earned recognition before his first season with the Hawkeyes.
We see you, @AlvaroFolgue 💪 pic.twitter.com/xNlaNRz40r
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) October 30, 2025
Folgueiras was added to the Karl Malone Award Watchlist before the 2025-2026 college basketball season.
The Karl Malone Award is presented annually to the best power forward in men's college basketball.
Folgueiras is the third Hawkeye to be added to the watchlist, joining Keegan Murray (2021) and his twin brother Kris Murray (2022).
Keegan won the award after the 2021 season.
Folgueiras also joins the list with four other players from the Big Ten, including Nick Martinelli (Northwestern), Trey Kaufman-Ren (Purdue), Tyler Bilodeau (UCLA), and Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan).
The Hawkeyes begin the 2025-2026 season with a home game against Robert Morris (Folgueiras' former team) on November 4, at 7:30 p.m. Central Time.