Tyon Grant-Foster emerges as hero of KU’s narrow 65-61 victory over North Dakota State
Knowing his Kansas men’s basketball team was in desperate need of a bucket, Tyon Grant-Foster dashed from the left wing to the goal with 1 minute, 25 seconds left in the Jayhawks’ narrow 65-61 victory over North Dakota State on Saturday afternoon in a near-empty Allen Fieldhouse.
“Really, I just saw the gap there. Coach (Bill Self) is always like, ‘Be aggressive.’ That was in the back of my head. So I was, ‘Why not?’’’ said Grant-Foster, a 6-foot-7 junior shooting guard out of Indian Hills Community College and Schlagle High School.
“In practice I’m always aggressive. I saw the opening there. I took it,” added Grant-Foster.
His driving layup at 1:21 turned a 61-60 deficit into a 62-61 lead, one the Jayhawks, who trailed by seven points with 11:45 left, did not relinquish.
“We couldn’t get anything going,” Grant-Foster said of an offense that connected on just 38.7% of its shots and was 4 of 15 from three (to North Dakota State’s 39.6%, overall shooting from the field, including 6 of 18 on threes).
“We were all on this (left) side (of court). Nobody was on the opposite side to help, so I knew I could get there. I knew we were down when I shot the layup,” added Grant-Foster, who finished with eight points and eight boards in 21 minutes. He played 14 minutes the final half.
KU coach Self, whose No. 7-ranked Jayhawks improved to 4-1 after surviving an 0-4 Bison team, stressed the importance of a pair of Grant-Foster plays.
“The one he cleaned up on Bryce’s miss was a great play,” Self said. Grant-Foster grabbed a Bryce Thompson airball and scored off an offensive rebound, tying the game at 51-51 with 9:34 left. It was a huge basket for KU, because the Bison had led by seven just a few minutes prior to that hoop.
“He kept a couple others alive. The play he went one-on-one that put us up one, that was special,” Self added.
Grant-Foster had been off to a somewhat slow start through his first four games of major college basketball. He’d totaled 11 points with 10 boards all season entering Saturday’s contest, which was attended by just 68 fans because of COVID-19 regulations.
“Coming from junior college I wanted to be an impact (player),” Grant-Foster said. “It didn’t happen early on, but I was just waiting on my opportunity. I felt good about today.”
He’d had a couple chats with Self heading into the game against Summit League team NDSU, which was led by guard Tyree Eady and forward Rocky Kreuser, who had 14 and 11 points respectively.
“Doing stuff coach told me I needed to do before the game and at practice yesterday,” Grant-Foster said of his goals for Saturday’s game. “Going in and doing it.
“Play hard, rebound the ball, move the ball. One thing he tells us is don’t let the ball stick,” Grant-Foster said. “Rebound, get it out, on the offensive end get the ball moving. Really, defense. That’s what he wanted. I’m pretty sure it’s why he kept me in.”
Grant-Foster had the defensive play of the game.
With KU up, 64-61 following two free throws by Kansas’ Christian Braun with 29 seconds left, Grant-Foster rejected the inside shot of North Dakota State guard Sam Griesel with 10 ticks to play. KU’s Ochai Agbaji secured the rebound, was fouled and hit one of two free throws with 7 seconds remaining to ice the game.
“I knew No. 5 (Griesel) was going to shoot it once he did spin,” Grant-Foster said. “I knew he wasn’t going to see me come over. He had turned his back to me. I knew He’d think I was standing out there. I love blocking shots. That’s what I love to do. I knew I was going to go get it.”
He smiled on a postgame Zoom call when asked what would have happened had the fieldhouse been full of 16,300 fans instead of less than 100.
“Oh I think they would have gone crazy. Everybody would have been up,” Grant-Foster said of reaction to his block.
Self, who thought overall his team looked a bit tired Saturday after beating Kentucky on Tuesday and Washburn Thursday, said: “Tyon was great down the stretch. I’m really happy for him. He’d not had many opportunities yet.”
Grant-Foster hopes to garner additional minutes down the line.
“I knew I was going to get those minutes if I did those things (that Self told him to do in talks Friday and before game),” Grant-Foster said. “I just knew he was going to keep rolling with me.”
Jalen Wilson had 15 rebounds and 14 points, while Agbaji had 13 points for Kansas. Braun had nine points and six boards on a day David McCormack played just 13 minutes. McCormack, who did not play again after picking up a third foul early in the second half as Self decided to use five guards, had seven points and two rebounds.
“I thought we grinded great. Situationally we played well down the stretch,” Self said. “I thought we competed hard.”
The No. 7-ranked Jayhawks will next meet No. 9-ranked Creighton at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Allen. In all, 2,500 fans will be admitted to that game.
Amy Bonner of Parkville, Missouri was one of the three officials to work Saturday’s game. Two longtime members of the stat crew said they believed Bonner to be the first woman to officiate a men’s hoops game in Allen Fieldhouse.
This story was originally published December 5, 2020 at 5:17 PM.
