Record 39 Spanish Players in NCAA Division I Basketball

U.S. college basketball has never had such a Spanish accent. The 2026-27 NCAA season, which just started, features 39 Spanish players in Division I men's basketball—a record that confirms a growing trend: more and more young players are choosing the college route to develop, earn playing time, and in many cases, capitalize on name, image, and likeness (NIL) earnings.

Aday Mara set the bar very high last season when he became the first Spanish player to win an NCAA championship with Michigan before making the jump to the NBA. He was joined by Baba Miller, who was selected by the Clippers, and Mario Saint-Supéry, who has returned to the Liga Endesa with Valencia Basket. The next wave arrives in the form of veteran players transferring between universities and a new generation just arriving on campus.

Read also:

• Aday Mara records first NBA double-double
• Mara, Hugo González, De Larrea and Baba Miller: October NBA roundup
• Yaxel Lendeborg, from the warehouse to the NBA

Folgueiras, Almansa and Domínguez, the standout names

Álvaro Folgueiras is probably the Spanish player drawing the most attention this season. After a strong March Madness run with Iowa, where he averaged 8.4 points and 3.6 rebounds, he's heading into his final college year at Louisville, one of the ACC's historic programs.

Izan Almansa returns to the United States after stints with Overtime Elite, Real Madrid, and other professional teams, arriving at Gonzaga as a junior. The former Spanish international will have to fight for minutes in one of the country's most competitive frontcourts.

At Xavier comes Rubén Domínguez, a shooter who averaged 10.2 points last season at Texas A&M. And at High Point, Conrad Martínez continues, one of the key players for a team that enters the Big South as a favorite.

Del Pino, Iturbe and a new generation

Among the younger players, Guillermo del Pino is one to watch. The Madrid native had limited playing time in his first year at Maryland (1.6 points in 9 minutes), but he's considered one of Spain's top prospects. Julen Iturbe, who averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds at American, looks set to be one of the Patriot League's standout players, and Victory Onuetu (6.9 rebounds at Hofstra) makes the jump to Wisconsin in the Big Ten.

The freshman class also reflects this changing trend: Miguel Allen, Chiek Diallo, Max Gaspà, Andrés Amón, and Roger Fábrega are leaving the Liga Endesa or the youth academies of major clubs to try their luck across the Atlantic. Beyond the Spanish players, several foreign prospects trained at Spanish clubs are making their NCAA debut this season, including Amosov at UConn, Kusturica at UCLA, and Ružić at LSU.

Data block

Spanish players in NCAA 2026-27 (Division I men's): 39 players, all-time record