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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: NCAA
Grant-Foster soaks up NCAA event for elite players
9/12/2024 5:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
GCU standout joined 13 others for 3-day symposium on transition to pros
Largely unknown to undeniably elite.
Over the past year at Grand Canyon, Tyon Grant-Foster awoke the college basketball world and professional ranks to what he can do on the court.
That put him at a 14-player NCAA Men's Basketball Elite Student-Athlete Symposium last weekend for a forum designed to help the senior guard's next transition to life after GCU basketball.
"I jumped at the chance for it," Grant-Foster said of the three-day event at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis. "It's been real dedication when it comes to my work that goes into it. Not just me, but all my teammates. Without them and the year that we had, I probably wouldn't have been on that radar still, so I give thanks to them."
If he knows better, Grant-Foster can do better. That is what the symposium is designed to do for elite players such as Grant-Foster, who still has room to grow on and off the court after winning WAC Player of the Year despite missing the previous two seasons because of a heart condition.
The NCAA leadership development and basketball enforcement staffs put together a curriculum of topics and a lineup of industry experts only available to Grant-Foster and the other 13 players.
"This atmosphere was intentionally cultivated to assist athletes who are phenomenal on the court transition in becoming knowledgeable professionals after their college basketball career ends," NCAA assistant director of leadership development Ashley Jocelyn said.
Grant-Foster was accompanied by GCU assistant director of student-athlete development Jerome Garrison for an itinerary that immediately heard from former Marquette, Indiana and Georgia head coach Mark Crean about personal and professional decision-making and NBA director of player development Erjaam Hayes on NBA and G-League insight.
The players spent Saturday doing mock interviews with a former NBA scout, getting NIL and long-term financial advice, hearing about the dangers of sports wagering from Stevin "Hedake" Smith on his high-profile downfall and getting more basketball insight from former pros Kent Bazemore and Okaro White and former New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry.
"I learned that most of the time when they (NBA personnel) ask you a question, they already know everything, so be truthful and be yourself," Grant-Foster said.
"Your character and the way you act is everything. It matters how you treat every single person, starting with the security guard who is at the door every day. No matter what is going on, I will try my best to be nice and be grateful just to be here because you never know when it'll be gone."
The symposium wrapped Sunday with more sessions on the NBA Draft, the NBA Players Association and sports agents before former New York Knicks guard and Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward delivered a closing keynote speech.
Among the participating college players, Grant-Foster saw a past and future opponent in Louisiana Tech power forward Daniel Batcho, and the 2023-24 WAC scoring leader also connected with Gonzaga's Michael Ajayi, last season's West Coast Conference scoring leader, and Vanderbilt's Jason Edwards, the American Athletic Conference's third-leading scorer last season when he was at North Texas.
Last summer, GCU's Gabe McGlothan learned about the NBA's Exhibit 10 contract while he was attending the symposium. After a stellar season, McGlothan signed that type of deal in July with the Denver Nuggets, who assigned him to start the season with G League affiliate Grand Rapids.
Grant-Foster considered pursuing this year's NBA Draft after leading the Lopes to a 30-5 season and the NCAA tournament's second round in March, but the Kansas City, Kansas, native returned to GCU this summer to pursue more team success and his individual goal of becoming a NBA first-round selection.
"Tyon is a special young man," said Garrison, who ranks ninth among all-time GCU basketball scoring leaders. "He had the opportunity to hear from the best of the best in the industry, and he was blessed by their experiences and knowledge. I'm excited to see what this year has in store for him."
Over the past year at Grand Canyon, Tyon Grant-Foster awoke the college basketball world and professional ranks to what he can do on the court.
That put him at a 14-player NCAA Men's Basketball Elite Student-Athlete Symposium last weekend for a forum designed to help the senior guard's next transition to life after GCU basketball.
"I jumped at the chance for it," Grant-Foster said of the three-day event at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis. "It's been real dedication when it comes to my work that goes into it. Not just me, but all my teammates. Without them and the year that we had, I probably wouldn't have been on that radar still, so I give thanks to them."If he knows better, Grant-Foster can do better. That is what the symposium is designed to do for elite players such as Grant-Foster, who still has room to grow on and off the court after winning WAC Player of the Year despite missing the previous two seasons because of a heart condition.
The NCAA leadership development and basketball enforcement staffs put together a curriculum of topics and a lineup of industry experts only available to Grant-Foster and the other 13 players.
"This atmosphere was intentionally cultivated to assist athletes who are phenomenal on the court transition in becoming knowledgeable professionals after their college basketball career ends," NCAA assistant director of leadership development Ashley Jocelyn said.
Grant-Foster was accompanied by GCU assistant director of student-athlete development Jerome Garrison for an itinerary that immediately heard from former Marquette, Indiana and Georgia head coach Mark Crean about personal and professional decision-making and NBA director of player development Erjaam Hayes on NBA and G-League insight.
The players spent Saturday doing mock interviews with a former NBA scout, getting NIL and long-term financial advice, hearing about the dangers of sports wagering from Stevin "Hedake" Smith on his high-profile downfall and getting more basketball insight from former pros Kent Bazemore and Okaro White and former New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry."I learned that most of the time when they (NBA personnel) ask you a question, they already know everything, so be truthful and be yourself," Grant-Foster said.
"Your character and the way you act is everything. It matters how you treat every single person, starting with the security guard who is at the door every day. No matter what is going on, I will try my best to be nice and be grateful just to be here because you never know when it'll be gone."
The symposium wrapped Sunday with more sessions on the NBA Draft, the NBA Players Association and sports agents before former New York Knicks guard and Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward delivered a closing keynote speech.
Among the participating college players, Grant-Foster saw a past and future opponent in Louisiana Tech power forward Daniel Batcho, and the 2023-24 WAC scoring leader also connected with Gonzaga's Michael Ajayi, last season's West Coast Conference scoring leader, and Vanderbilt's Jason Edwards, the American Athletic Conference's third-leading scorer last season when he was at North Texas.
Last summer, GCU's Gabe McGlothan learned about the NBA's Exhibit 10 contract while he was attending the symposium. After a stellar season, McGlothan signed that type of deal in July with the Denver Nuggets, who assigned him to start the season with G League affiliate Grand Rapids.
Grant-Foster considered pursuing this year's NBA Draft after leading the Lopes to a 30-5 season and the NCAA tournament's second round in March, but the Kansas City, Kansas, native returned to GCU this summer to pursue more team success and his individual goal of becoming a NBA first-round selection."Tyon is a special young man," said Garrison, who ranks ninth among all-time GCU basketball scoring leaders. "He had the opportunity to hear from the best of the best in the industry, and he was blessed by their experiences and knowledge. I'm excited to see what this year has in store for him."
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