Mark Few’s Gonzaga Bulldogs are heading into their final season in the WCC before transitioning to the Pac-12, but the most significant victory of their preseason didn’t happen on the court.
While the team wrapped up its exhibition schedule with a dominant 111-53 win over Western Oregon, a far more important battle was won in a Spokane County courtroom. The decision changes the Zags’ 2025-26 season outlook and caps an emotional and resilient journey for one of their key players.
Why Was Tyon Grant-Foster’s Court Victory a Pivotal Moment for Gonzaga?
On Monday, Judge Maria Polin granted guard Tyon Grant-Foster a preliminary injunction that allows him to play for Gonzaga in the 2025-26 college basketball season. The ruling came after a two-hour hearing at the Spokane County Courthouse, overturning a previous NCAA decision. Earlier this month, the NCAA denied Grant-Foster’s appeal, arguing that his time at junior college and multiple Division I programs had exhausted his four years of eligibility.
Following Monday’s ruling, Grant-Foster’s attorney, Carl Oreskovich, praised the player’s perseverance throughout the difficult process. “He’s just a remarkable young man that’s just resilient,” Oreskovich said. “He just keeps coming. The times it looked like there’d be obstacles, he was tearful. Today you could see he was tearful again, but tears of happiness.”
In a remarkable turn of events, Grant-Foster spent part of his day listening to court arguments before heading to the McCarthey Athletic Center to suit up for the exhibition game against Western Oregon. When he finally entered the game, the 6,000 fans in attendance rose to their feet. He finished with four points, three rebounds, and one assist in nine minutes.
The celebration continued in the locker room, where his return created a decisive moment for the team. Coach Mark Few described the scene as unforgettable. “The reaction in the locker room was priceless,” Few said. “It’s something I’ll never forget. They were already dressed and ready to go by the time we got here. I can’t speak for Ty, but I’m sure it’s something that really, really touched him also.”
Teammate Braden Huff echoed that sentiment, sharing his heartfelt reaction to seeing Grant-Foster get ready to play.
MORE: A Bigger Issue Looms for NCAA As Gonzaga’s Tyon Grant-Foster Manages To Bypass Waiver Ruling
“(He) walked in the locker room, he was still in his tie and dress shirt and all that. And yeah, we were all just really excited and saw him start to suit up, and it was just really cool,” Huff said. “I mean, we know what he’s been through throughout this whole process, and it’s been hard on him. So just to see him be able to dress tonight and know that he’s going to be playing with us this season is really cool.”
Grant-Foster’s journey has been anything but ordinary. He began his college career at Indian Hills Community College in 2018-19, then transferred to Kansas for the COVID-impacted season before moving to DePaul for 2021-22.
During a game that year, he suffered a cardiac arrest, and his heart stopped twice. The medical emergency led to multiple surgeries and cost him two full seasons of basketball. He returned to the court with Grand Canyon University for the 2023-24 season, averaging 20.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 34 games before transferring to Gonzaga this offseason. With the court’s decision, his comeback story has its next chapter.
