A Spokean County Judge has issued a preliminary injunction allowing former Grand Canyon basketball player Tyon Grant-Foster to play for Gonzaga in the 2025-26 college basketball season.
Grant-Foster had sought an extra year of eligibility, but was denied by the NCAA. He challenged the ruling in court.
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The ruling came just hours before the Bulldogs took the court for an exhibition against Western Oregon. He was given a standing ovation in front of the Gonzaga faithful when he entered the game for the first time and waved his arm to fire up the fans.
GCU Lopes guard Tyon Grant-Foster is introduced before their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale on Nov. 19, 2023.
Grant-Foster, a 6-foot-7 guard, led Grand Canyon to the past two NCAA Tournaments. He took part in Senior Nights both of the last two seasons, figuring his next path would be the NBA. But that didn’t work out.
A heart condition previously caused him to miss two years of his college career. After leaving GCU, he entered the transfer portal and was picked up by national power Gonzaga. The NCAA last week denied Grant-Foster’s waiver request to have an extra year.
Grant-Foster graduated from high school in 2018, he played two junior college seasons at Indian Hills Community College and transferred to Kansas, where he played in 22 games in the 2020-21 season. After transferring to DePaul, at halftime of the first game, he collapsed in the locker room and was rushed to a hospital, being revived twice in the ambulance.
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After multiple heart surgeries, he missed 16 months. He was medically cleared and GCU took a chance on him. He flourished in his first season, winning the WAC Player of the Year honors, averaging 20 points and six rebounds. He led the Lopes to their first NCAA Tournament win in Spokane against Saint Mary’s College, before losing to Alabama in the next round.
Grant-Foster overcame injuries last season to lead the Lopes down the stretch to another WAC Tournament title. He led his team in scoring in the first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Maryland.
According to ESPN, Grant-Foster’s lawyers argued the two junior college seasons qualified as a waiver given to junior college players in December 2024 that should allow him another year to play.
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Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don’t miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former Grand Canyon basketball star wins in court to play for Gonzaga
