In a bizarre twist to an otherwise dominant season-opening victory, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few found himself explaining a mistake he says has not happened in his 37 years of coaching. While the No. 21 Bulldogs secured a commanding 98-43 win over Texas Southern, the real story emerged from an administrative error that unexpectedly put Tyon Grant-Foster in the starting lineup, capping a turbulent week for the newly eligible forward.
Why Was Grant-Foster’s First Start a ‘First’ in 37 Years for Mark Few?
Gonzaga’s 36th consecutive home-opening win, a streak dating back to 1988, was overshadowed by a pregame lineup snafu. Grant-Foster led the Wildcats with 15 points in his debut, but his spot in the starting five was never the plan. During his postgame news conference, Few revealed the unusual reason Grant-Foster started over Adam Miller.
“He’s (Foster) still got a long way to go,” Mark Few said. “We’re throwing a lot at him, he’s gonna have to play multiple positions. He’s really scratching the surface in terms of being totally immersed in what we’re trying to do. Even to the point, he wasn’t even gonna start tonight. This was the first time in 37 years this ever happened.”
Few continued, explaining the mix-up. “One of the assistants put the wrong name on the book. So, he was sitting there in his warm ups as we were calling it, Adam Miller was supposed to start. It was just a little bit too much too soon. It’s gonna take us a while and all these days he can use, he can catch up. There’s still ways to get him immersed.”
Despite the unexpected change forcing him to come off the bench, Miller still contributed significantly, tallying 13 points against Texas Southern.
How Did a Court Battle Define Grant-Foster’s Turbulent Start at Gonzaga?
The lineup error was just the final chapter in a chaotic start to Grant-Foster’s Gonzaga career. After transferring from Grand Canyon, his eligibility waiver was denied by the NCAA in July, which prompted a legal battle to get on the court this season. His case took a critical turn on October 19, when U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice denied the NCAA’s motion to move the case to federal court.
Then, in a dramatic turn of events on October 27, just hours before Gonzaga’s exhibition game against Western Oregon, Judge Marla Polin granted Grant-Foster an injunction, making him eligible to play. Following that game, Few detailed the whirlwind that allowed Grant-Foster to suit up.
“It was tough turnaround there with how it all transpired,” Few said in his news conference. “Tyon and I rushed down here and got him semi-warmed up, and got him out there on the floor. But the reaction in the locker room was priceless, it’s something I’ll never forget. They were already dressed and ready to go by the time we got here.”
Few emphasized the team’s bond, adding, “He’s family. He’s one of our guys and it’s just kind of how we roll around here. [Being there] was a no-brainer, and it went long and I was there till the end.”
After all the uncertainty surrounding his college basketball career, Grant-Foster’s official debut on Monday night gave Gonzaga fans a thrilling glimpse of what could be.