PHOENIX — In Nov. 2021, Tyon Grant-Foster collapsed and nearly died at halftime of a game. Now, just two-and-a-half years later, the reigning Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year is turning pro, and declaring for the NBA Draft.
Grant-Foster, who helped lead Grand Canyon to their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory in March, announced the move in a social media post.
"First and foremost, I would like to thank and give all the glory to God," a statement from Grant-Foster on the post read. "Without him, my faith, and my family, none of this would be possible. My journey has been filled with trials and tribulations, but thanks to Him and my faith and family, I've made it this far. I want to say thank you to the GCU staff for giving me a chance to get back on the court! I would also like to give a huge thanks to the Havocs for cheering us on all season.
"With that being said, after speaking with my family and coaches, I've decided to pursue my life-long dream of playing in the NBA. It is time to take the next step in my journey and continue to write my story. It's been a long journey and I want to say thank you to GCU & everybody who has been a part of it. Lopes up!"
Grant-Foster spent just one season with GCU, transferring to play for the Lopes just 16 months after having his heat shocked back into rhythm three times when he collapsed during halftime of the 2021-22 season opener while he was playing at DePaul.
In 34 games with the Lopes this past season, Grant-Foster averaged 20.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.
He led the WAC in scoring and 20-point games. He was third in the conference in field goal percentage (44.6%), third in steals, sixth in blocks and 14th in rebounding. Grant-Foster was also sixth in the conference in minutes played per game (33.5).
He was named the WAC Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season and helped lead GCU to the conference regular season and tournament titles. GCU also beat St. Mary's in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. That was the program's first-ever win in the tournament. The Lopes lost to Alabama in the second round.
Grant-Foster grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, and starred at Schlagle High School before starting his college basketball career at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa.
After being named an honorable mention All-American by the NJCAA, Grant-Foster transferred to play for Kansas for the 2020-21 season. He appeared in 21 games for the Jayhawks but only played 14 or more minutes in five of them. After just one season at Kansas, Grant-Foster transferred to DePaul.
He scored nine points in the first half of his first game with the Blue Demons before collapsing in the locker room.
He was rushed to the hospital, where he ended up spending 10 days and had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator inserted in his chest.
He had a second heart surgery in spring 2022 after collapsing once again during a pickup game he played with former Kansas teammate and current Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun.
That caused Grant-Foster to put a pause on his basketball career, which was hard, but he admitted there was a silver lining.
“I feel I became a better basketball player IQ-wise watching the game a whole lot," Grant-Foster to 12News in March. "Being around it and not playing, you learn so much more and see stuff you usually don’t see on the court.”
That pause lasted 16 months before doctors cleared Grant-Foster to return to basketball. He entered the transfer portal and only took one visit before committing to play at GCU in April 2023.
The NBA Draft will be broken up into two days this year. The first round will be held on June 26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The second round will be held on June 27 at ESPN's Seaport District Studios in New York.
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