Monday may have been the most important day of the preseason for Gonzaga’s season outlook — and it all took place in a courtroom.
All eyes were on incoming transfer Tyon Grant-Foster, formerly of Grand Canyon, as he awaited a ruling on whether he would be eligible to play this season after the NCAA denied him an additional year of eligibility.
After some deliberation, Grant-Foster was granted an injunction allowing him to suit up for the Zags — an emotional victory for a player who has been through hell and back.
To fully understand his story, you have to go back to 2018, when he graduated from high school.
After graduation, he signed with Indian Hills Community College in rural Iowa before transferring to Kansas, where he played for the Jayhawks during the 2020–21 season.
Used sparingly there, Grant-Foster later transferred to DePaul, where he faced a life-changing ordeal.
During halftime of the Blue Demons’ season opener, he collapsed and had to be resuscitated multiple times.
Following two open-heart surgeries, doctors told Grant-Foster he would never play basketball again.
But he defied the odds.
After his traumatic stint at DePaul, Grant-Foster joined Bryce Drew and the Grand Canyon Antelopes — and the rest is history.
He emerged as one of the premier players in college basketball, leading Grand Canyon to an upset win over perennial West Coast Conference powerhouse Saint Mary’s in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Now, he joins the same conference as the Gaels — this time, as a Zag.
In a world full of feel-good stories, Grant-Foster’s journey of resilience and perseverance stands out as another remarkable chapter.
It also underscores the NCAA’s continued struggle with consistency in determining player eligibility.
As for Grant-Foster, he’ll be part of a Gonzaga team looking to win one more WCC title before joining the revived Pac-12 Conference next year.
