Alvaro Folgueiras

Álvaro Folgueiras Campos 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

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. After spending a season at the DME Academy, Folgueiras committed to play college basketball at Robert Morris University.

College career

Folgueiras played mostly as a reserve as a freshman, before increasing his production the following year. 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. As a sophomore, he was named the Horizon League Player of the Year.
On April 20, 2025, Folgueiras announced his decision to transfer to the University of Iowa to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Style of play

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 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.