May 28—College basketball fans in Spokane got their first glimpse of Tyon Grant-Foster two years ago when the Grand Canyon wing dazzled with 51 points over two NCAA Tournament games against Saint Mary’s and Alabama at the Arena.
Gonzaga fans may see that on a more consistent basis next season, with Grant-Foster announcing a commitment to Mark Few and the Zags Wednesday morning.
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If he receives an NCAA waiver for a final year of eligibility, the 25-year-old transfer should give the Zags a major boost at the wing position after leading Grand Canyon to consecutive Western Athletic Conference Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances.
Grant-Foster was one of the nation’s most prolific scorers in 2023-24, averaging 20.1 points per game — ranking No. 33 nationally — and 6.1 rebounds en route to winning WAC Player of the Year honors. Grant-Foster’s scoring and efficiency numbers dropped off slightly last season while he dealt with an undisclosed lower-body injury, limiting him to 26 games and 17 starts.
The 6-foot-7 native of Kansas City, Missouri, is still waiting for the NCAA to grant a waiver to clear him for his fifth Division I season, and seventh overall season of college basketball. Grant-Foster played two seasons at Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College from 2018-20 before appearing in 22 games as a freshman at Kansas. Grant-Foster transferred to DePaul, but played just one game for the Blue Demons due to a heart condition that required him to undergo multiple surgeries and sit out during the 2022-23 season.
Grant-Foster returned to the court to play in all 34 games for Grand Canyon in 2023-24 and 26 more last season.
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As of Wednesday morning, he was ranked No. 62 among players who’ve entered the transfer portal this offseason and No. 10 among the best transfers still available.
“Amazing basketball situation,” Grant-Foster told Eric Bossi of 247Sports.com of Gonzaga. “One of the best, if not the best, college coaches in the country. I know this is a place I can go get better in a real way and continue to win at a high level, and it’s been proven through their development of NBA-level wings.”
Grant-Foster’s transition from Grand Canyon to Gonzaga comes more than a month after former Zags guard Dusty Stromer left Few’s program to join coach Bryce Drew and the Lopes.
The veteran wing gives Gonzaga another proven scorer who should help offset the losses of guards Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman and Khalif Battle. He becomes the second player to transfer to Gonzaga from an Phoenix-area school after Arizona State guard Adam Miller signed with Few’s team earlier this month.
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Grant-Foster also considered ASU and had Washington among his finalists.
During a breakout 2023-24 season at GCU, Grant-Foster scored a school single-season record 684 points while winning WAC POY honors and leading the league in scoring. He was a finalist for the Lute Olson National Player of the Year honors, the Most Outstanding Player at the WAC Tournament and a six-time recipient of the WAC’s Newcomer of the Week award.
Grant-Foster was a three-level scorer at GCU, making 44% of his field goals in 2023-24 and 40% last season. The wing created foul pressure, getting to the free-throw line 8.3 times per game during his first season with the Lopes and 7.1 times in 2024-25. Grant-Foster made 33.1% from the 3-point line as a junior on 4.1 attempts per game but watched his percentage dip to 23.2% last season on 3.8 attempts per game.
Grant-Foster also demonstrated prowess on the defensive end during his time at GCU, averaging 1.5 blocks per game each of the last season. By comparision, GU’s leaders in that category last season were Graham Ike and Braden Huff, who each posted 0.6 blocks.
Grant-Foster wasn’t on GCU’s roster when the Lopes faced the Zags in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. He has prior history with his new school, playing 10 minutes off the bench for Kansas when the Jayhawks squared off with GU in the 2020 Fort Myers Tip-Off.
