Indian Hills C.C. head coach talks Tyon Grant-Foster
During his sophomore year, Tyon Grant-Foster averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game for Indian Hills C.C. in Ottumwa, Iowa. He led the Warriors to a 30-3 record and Indian Hills C.C. was one of the top teams throughout the season.
Recently, Indian Hills C.C. head coach Hank Plona provided an inside look at the type of person and player Kansas is getting in Tyon Grant-Foster.
“He wants to be the reason that they either win or lose and that’s what we look for,” Hank Plona said to JUCOadvocate. “That’s toughness right there. I want the guy that wants to be responsible for losing, because that’s the guy that’s going to end up being responsible for a championship. He ends up committing to Kansas before the season starts – dream come true – and right there, you know is the point where it’s easy for a kid that’s never had that before – that’s never been recruited at that level, that got everything he could ever wish to get out of this experience.
“I don’t know,” he added. “To mail it in or get complacent. And the reason why Tyon Grant-Foster has a chance is because he doesn’t even think about doing that. He had an All-American season for us. We went 30-3. Obviously, we did not get the chance for him to put the exclamation point on his Indian Hills career.
“However, I think he can absolutely put the exclamation point on his college basketball career,” he continued.
Originally from Schlagle High School in Kansas City, Kan., Grant-Foster, in 31 games, shot 48.3 percent from the field, 33.5 percent from behind the arc, and 72.2 percent from the free-throw line.
In the final game of his Indian Hills C.C. career, Grant-Foster scored 29 points in 25 minutes of action against Dawson Community College. In the victory, he shot 11-of-16 from the field, 3-of-6 from behind the arc, and 4-of-8 from the free-throw line.
Despite scholarship offers from the likes of Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa State, Kansas State, LSU, Miami (FL), Mississippi, Oklahoma State, Oregon, SMU, St. John’s, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, and others, Grant-Foster, after officially visiting Kansas on October 11, 2019, verbally committed to Bill Self and the Jayhawks three days later.
Shortly after signing his National Letter-of-Intent with Kansas, Self had this to saw about Grant-Foster.
“Tyon is very long and extremely skilled,” Self said. “He can play basically anywhere on the floor, one through four. He’s good with the ball, has great vision and is a terrific athlete. His motor is always running.”
