With a nine-point and three-rebound first half, DePaul guard Tyon Grant-Foster was having a solid start to his first career game as a Blue Demon. However, everything changed when Grant-Foster collapsed in the locker room at halftime. The training staff jumped into action, using a defibrillator to bring him back from the brink of death. After two heart surgeries, doctors told him that his playing career was over. However, Grant-Foster was determined to make his return to the hardwood.

The Portal

Grant-Foster began his college basketball career at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa. In 22 games with the team, he averaged 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, earning him a spot with the Kansas Jayhawks back in his home state of Kansas. At Kansas, he struggled to find playing time, only playing eight minutes per contest and averaging just over three points. To try to find his footing, he transferred again to DePaul.

The Madness of March

Due to his heart issues, it would be 18 months before Grant-Foster was medically cleared and had the chance to prove himself on the court. This time, his opportunity came in a Grand Canyon University jersey. Although he had not played in almost two years, Grant-Foster felt he returned to the game as a better player. He told reporters that during his recovery, he spent more time studying the game and improving his basketball IQ and explained that the adversity he faced gave him an edge over others.

“You never question God’s path he has for you because everyone’s path is different,” Grant-Foster told wvnstv.com. “So just because my path is hard and for other people it isn’t doesn’t mean that it’s less important or that you give up. I had hard times, but it’s what makes me who I am today.”

In his first year at GCU, Grant-Foster finally showed what he was capable of. He led the conference in scoring and was named the WAC Player of the Year. He averaged just over 20 points a game and helped the program secure its first NCAA tournament victory over Saint Mary’s.

“After two years off, it is remarkable what Tyon has done,” GCU head coach Bryce Drew said, reflecting on Grant-Foster’s 2023 campaign. “He has been one of the best scorers in the country.”

The Return

In the offseason, Grant-Foster tested the NBA waters but ultimately decided to return to the Antelopes this season. In 2024, the team went 26-8 and won their third straight WAC tournament, Giving them another shot in the big dance.  

The Antelopes could not recreate the magic from last year in the NCAA tournament, falling to Maryland 49-81.

Grant-Foster closed out his college career with 23 points, three assists, and four rebounds. Although his career didn’t have the storybook ending he would have hoped for, his 18-month battle back to basketball, along with his two tremendous seasons with GCU, after two heart surgeries,  coding multiple times in the hospital and doctors telling him his career was over—show  us the power we all have to persevere through adversity and accomplish things others would never imagine.

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