Gonzaga Basketball's roster situation with (or without) Tyon Grant-Foster for 2025-26

Among the many college basketball teams to open the 2025-26 campaign with preseason scrimmages and exhibitions were the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The top-25 squad opened up against Northwest, winning 111-62. 11 different players scored for the Bulldogs, but one who was noticeably absent was Tyon Grant-Foster, who wasn’t eligible to play.

That’s because the transfer forward from Grand Canyon was denied a waiver to play this season by the NCAA, due to the “clock” rule of effectively running out of time to have more eligibility. For a player who had dealt with heart-related issues and played just one game in two years, this could be the end of the road for Grant-Foster.

Or maybe not. Immediately after the waiver appeal was denied, Grant-Foster and his team filed for an injunction in court in hopes of playing this upcoming season. The results this offseason have been mixed, with the NCAA against the court, winning some cases where players sought extra years without notable cause, while others, particularly those who played JUCO, such as TGF, have won.

Is Gonzaga in trouble without Grant-Foster? And what would the roster and rotation look like without him? Here’s a look at the two scenarios the Bulldogs are facing.

Projected rotation without Tyon Grant-Foster

• PG: Braeden Smith (27 mpg), Mario Saint-Supery (13 mpg)
• SG: Adam Miller (27 mpg), Saint-Supery (13 mpg)
• SF: Emmanuel Innocenti (18 mpg), Steele Venters (15 mpg), Davis Fogle (7 mpg)
• PF: Braden Huff (22 mpg), Jalen Warley (15 mpg), Venters (3 mpg)
• C: Graham Ike (28 mpg), Huff (6 mpg), Ismaila Diagne (6 mpg)

The backcourt rotation looks pretty set, with Smith, the former Patriot League Player of the Year (Colgate), set to be the next lead passer. Miller, a transfer from Arizona State who shot over 40% from deep, is a natural shooting guard. Saint-Supery is an international newcomer from Spain who can play both on and off the ball and could have the highest ceiling of any true perimeter player.

The wing position is where the potential absence of TGF matters. Last season, Innocenti was inserted into the rotation midway through, providing his defense and energy to lift Gonzaga during its defensive turnaround. Still, he averaged just a couple of points a game and shot under 30% from deep on 34 total attempts. 

However, Gonzaga finally has Venters available after missing the last two seasons with injuries. The former Big Sky Player of the Year is one of the better pure shooters in the country, and when healthy, could be a better option to play next to Huff and Ike in lineups to provide needed spacing.

This would also provide an opportunity for someone like Fogle, who led the team with 18 points in the exhibition victory. The former four-star prospect is in a crowded room of forwards, especially if Huff plays most of his minutes at the four-spot. But without TGF around, look for both he and Warley to benefit the most.

Projected rotation and minutes with Tyon Grant-Foster

• PG: Braeden Smith (27 mpg), Mario Saint-Supery (13 mpg)
• SG: Adam Miller (27 mpg), Saint-Supery (13 mpg)
• SF: Emmanuel Innocenti (15 mpg), Tyon Grant-Foster (22 mpg), Steele Venters (3 mpg)
• PF: Braden Huff (17 mpg), Venters (13 mpg), Warley (10 mpg)
• C: Graham Ike (28 mpg), Huff (10 mpg), Ismaila Diagne (2mpg)

Besides the wings, a noticeable effect of having Grant-Foster eligible would be that Huff isn’t a guarantee to be exclusively a power forward. If he’s not able to shoot the ball better (28% on 32 attempts from deep), you can see Venters provide a better spacing option at the four, while Grant-Foster and Venters would be interchangeable in terms of defense, with TGF taking on the tougher matchup. It would also put pressure on Innocenti, as he and Grant-Foster’s strengths and weaknesses would be redundant, so they likely wouldn’t be on the floor much unless in defense-only lineups.

In this scenario, I still have Grant-Foster coming off the bench to start, given how much time he’s missed gelling with the team. He very well could end up taking over the starting spot weeks into the season, but the overall minute allocation should be similar.

What does Grant-Foster bring to Gonzaga?

The 6’7 forward is a former WAC Player of the Year, coming off averaging 14.8 ppg and 5.9 rpg. Grant-Foster has always been known for being an elite athlete who can defend at a high level. While he only has a career 28% number from three-point range, Grant-Foster’s ability to create his own shot and get to the basket is a needed trait to complete this roster, which will need to avoid relying on Smith to set up the offense like how Ryan Nembhard did a year ago, which had some mixed results at times.

What makes this Gonzaga roster so intriguing is the number of “unknowns”. There are two redshirt transfers, a double-big lineup, a player who missed two years due to injuries, and now Grant-Foster, who may or may not be eligible to play. That explains the (by their standards) low preseason AP ranking of 21. Still, if everything goes right, including a potential injunction for their key transfer, Gonzaga can still be as formidable a national contender as they’ve been for the last 20 years.