Izan Almansa is making it harder for Gonzaga to keep him off the floor

Almansa's early impact is raising questions about Gonzaga's frontcourt rotation, and Mark Few's comparison to a former Zag speaks volumes

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Photo by Erik Smith

Excitement built all offseason long for the Gonzaga Bulldogs frontcourt of Braden Huff and Massamba Diop, widely projected as one of the best in college basketball.

What was less clear was how the team's depth would look outside of that dynamic duo, a question that has been emphatically answered by the play of 21-year-old Spanish big man Izan Almansa.

Almansa looked great for Gonzaga in exhibition games against Arkansas and Lewis-Clark State, and had a very strong college debut on Monday against Purdue - pouring in 11 points with four rebounds in 29 minutes, shooting 4-5 on two pointers and 3-3 from the free throw line.

Why Almansa is earning Mark Few's trust

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Izan Almansa (13). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Almansa committed to Gonzaga back in May, but didn't get officially cleared from the NCAA until late October - one day before the team's exhibition opener at Arkansas.

Since then, he's made a name for himself with his ability to be exactly where he needs to at all times on the floor - allowing him to finish easy shots at the rim, gobble up rebounds on both ends of the floor, and even playmake from the elbow, all traits that have caught the attention of his head coach.

"He's been a pleasant surprise," coach Mark Few said after the Purdue game. "He's just an easy-going guy, he reminds me so much of Killian Tillie with how you can initiate offense with him. He's got a wonderful feel for the game...we're asking him to be more and more aggressive offensively, I thought he did a nice job with that tonight."

Feb 8, 2020; Moraga, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Joel Ayayi (11) and forward Killian Tillie (33) talk after a game against the Saint Mary's Gaels at McKeon Pavilion. | USA TODAY Sports

Could Almansa cut into Massamba Diop's minutes?

Almansa's 29 minutes played on Monday nearly doubled the output of Diop, Gonzaga's starting center, who sat with foul trouble once again - a problem that plagued him in both exhibition games as well.

Diop was Gonzaga's prized offseason acquisition, a hulking 7'1 big man who blocked over two shots per game as a freshman last year at Arizona State. His rim protection and developing offensive game were perfect complements to Huff's elite scoring ability, offensive rebounding, and limited ability to protect the rim.

Gonzaga Bulldogs center Massamba Diop. | Photo by Myk Crawford

But now, with Almansa playing as well as he has and Diop struggling offensively, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the playing time distributed in favor of Almansa while Diop settles in. And if the foul issues continue for Diop, it will skew even more in favor of Almansa - as Few has long handled substitutions conservatively with players in foul trouble.

Almansa is not the rim protector Diop is, and while his defense has looked solid in the very early part of the season, it does leave Gonzaga vulnerable down low - which fans saw Monday when 7'4 Purdue big man Daniel Jacobsen dropped 22 points on 9-11 shooting in 26 minutes.

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Izan Almansa (13). | Photo by Erik Smith

Coach Few has the luxury of three talented, but very different, frontcourt players to mix and match this season, and Almansa's immediate impact has improved an already very high floor for this program in the first season of the new look Pac-12.

Next up for Gonzaga is the home opener, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, at 2:00 PM PT against New Mexico State. The game will be broadcast on KHQ locally and on ESPN Unlimited.