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Apr. 6—Gonzaga's Tyon Grant-Foster was named the recipient of the "Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award," the U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced Monday in Indianapolis, hours before the national championship game between Michigan and Connecticut.
Grant-Foster, who played one season at Gonzaga after stops at Indian Hills Community College, Kansas, DePaul and Grand Canyon, becomes the latest recipient of the award that's been handed out every year since 1978.
According to the USBWA's website, the Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award recognizes "a player, coach, official or administrator who has demonstrated extraordinary courage reflecting honor on the sport of amateur basketball."
The recipient is presented with the award and a $1,000 check toward a charity or scholarship fund of his or her choice.
Grant-Foster overcame a series of hurdles on and off the court during his college career, which started in 2018-19 at Indiana Hills CC in Ottumwa, Iowa. The wing played two junior college seasons before returning to his home state of Kansas to play for Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks.
He played in 22 games during the COVID-19-impacted 2020-21 season before transferring to DePaul the following year. Grant-Foster collapsed in DePaul's locker room during the first game of the 2021-22 season and missed the remainder of the year with a heart condition known as arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.
Grant-Foster collapsed again during an offseason pickup game back home in Kansas City and didn't play during the 2022-23 season. After being cleared, he transferred to Grand Canyon, where the wing won Western Athletic Player of the Year honors in 2023-24 and guided the Antelopes to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
Grant-Foster committed to Gonzaga last offseason but required a waiver from the NCAA to be cleared for his final year of eligibility. The NCAA denied Grant-Foster's initial waiver and multiple appeals, prompting the player to file a lawsuit against the sport's regulatory body.
Spokane County Judge Marla Polin heard Grant-Foster's case on Oct. 27, ultimately granting the player a preliminary injunction that allowed him to suit up for the Zags in 2025-26. Grant-Foster drove directly from Spokane County Courthouse to the McCarthey Athletic Center, where he played in Gonzaga's preseason exhibition against Western Oregon the same night.
Grant-Foster made six starts for Gonzaga, but played 21.5 minutes per game and was the team's third double-digit scorer, averaging 11.0 points to go with 5.0 rebounds and a team-high 1.1 blocks. He shot 47.5% from the field, 26.2% from the 3-point line and 61.1% from the free throw line.
The 6-foot-7 wing had 20 points and seven rebounds in Gonzaga's 79-68 win over Santa Clara in the West Coast Conference Tournament championship game, giving him his third conference title in as many years — and third at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
Continue reading...
Grant-Foster, who played one season at Gonzaga after stops at Indian Hills Community College, Kansas, DePaul and Grand Canyon, becomes the latest recipient of the award that's been handed out every year since 1978.
According to the USBWA's website, the Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award recognizes "a player, coach, official or administrator who has demonstrated extraordinary courage reflecting honor on the sport of amateur basketball."
The recipient is presented with the award and a $1,000 check toward a charity or scholarship fund of his or her choice.
Grant-Foster overcame a series of hurdles on and off the court during his college career, which started in 2018-19 at Indiana Hills CC in Ottumwa, Iowa. The wing played two junior college seasons before returning to his home state of Kansas to play for Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks.
He played in 22 games during the COVID-19-impacted 2020-21 season before transferring to DePaul the following year. Grant-Foster collapsed in DePaul's locker room during the first game of the 2021-22 season and missed the remainder of the year with a heart condition known as arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.
Grant-Foster collapsed again during an offseason pickup game back home in Kansas City and didn't play during the 2022-23 season. After being cleared, he transferred to Grand Canyon, where the wing won Western Athletic Player of the Year honors in 2023-24 and guided the Antelopes to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
Grant-Foster committed to Gonzaga last offseason but required a waiver from the NCAA to be cleared for his final year of eligibility. The NCAA denied Grant-Foster's initial waiver and multiple appeals, prompting the player to file a lawsuit against the sport's regulatory body.
Spokane County Judge Marla Polin heard Grant-Foster's case on Oct. 27, ultimately granting the player a preliminary injunction that allowed him to suit up for the Zags in 2025-26. Grant-Foster drove directly from Spokane County Courthouse to the McCarthey Athletic Center, where he played in Gonzaga's preseason exhibition against Western Oregon the same night.
Grant-Foster made six starts for Gonzaga, but played 21.5 minutes per game and was the team's third double-digit scorer, averaging 11.0 points to go with 5.0 rebounds and a team-high 1.1 blocks. He shot 47.5% from the field, 26.2% from the 3-point line and 61.1% from the free throw line.
The 6-foot-7 wing had 20 points and seven rebounds in Gonzaga's 79-68 win over Santa Clara in the West Coast Conference Tournament championship game, giving him his third conference title in as many years — and third at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
Continue reading...
