Kansas basketball: Former Jayhawk guard dominating competition at WAC school

There hasn't been a better story in college basketball this year than that of Tyon Grant-Foster. The former Kansas basketball guard went from being unlikely to playing the sport he loves ever again to one of the most improved players in the NCAA.

Grant-Foster played one season at KU after spending two in JUCO. He appeared in 22 games, averaging 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds before transferring to DePaul in the offseason. Although he left the Jayhawks to get a fresh start, he would play just 15 minutes in a Blue Demons uniform.

At halftime of DePaul's season-opening matchup versus Coppin State, Grant-Foster went into the locker room and had a near-death experience. He began foaming at the mouth and had to be revived by the team's training staff to make it out alive. Playing basketball was an afterthought following the incident.

A similar scenario occurred in a Kansas City gym the next year. After passing out on the hardwood once again, one might think his playing career was over. But somehow and some way, he was medically cleared in early 2023 and entered his name into the transfer portal in search of a new school to spend his final year of eligibility.

He committed to Grand Canyon with former KU commit Sydney Curry and it wound up being an amazing decision. Through 12 games with the Antelopes, Grant-Foster averages 20.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.8 steals on 46.0/31.6/75.8 shooting splits. He scored 30 points in the season opener and led his team to a victory over San Diego State, a school ranked No. 17 in the preseason.

Not only does he appreciate what Bill Self taught him with the Jayhawks, but he attributes some of his current qualities as a player to his time at KU.

“I loved going to KU,” Grant-Foster said. “Obviously, I wish I would’ve gotten more opportunity on the court but I learned a lot, I love all those coaches, Coach Self, Coach KT, all those guys are great people. They all talk to me still. There’s no ill will. There’s no bad blood. I learned how to play real defense at KU. Maybe if I had played it a little bit better, I would’ve gotten on the court more, but hey, you live and you learn. I appreciate them.

GCU sits at 12-1 at the start of the new year, and none other than Grant-Foster leads them in scoring. His story is nothing short of incredible, and we could see him making history if the Lopes make the NCAA Tournament for a consecutive season.

You can dominate the sportsbooks with FanDuel's guaranteed $150 bonus for any $5 bet backing the Jayhawks! Sign up, deposit at least $10 and bet $5 or more on Kansas and you'll receive $150 in bonus bets win or lose. You need to act quickly, so sign up for FanDuel now!