With a cell phone recording in his right hand, Tyon Grant-Foster stretched his right arm out to make sure he could capture every angle of the pep rally unfolding in front of Gonzaga’s McCarthey Athletic Center.

Once he was inside, Grant-Foster snuck away from teammates to make a quick FaceTime call, giving someone on his phone screen a virtual tour as the arena began to fill up roughly an hour before Gonzaga’s marquee preseason event started.

Then came Grant-Foster’s formal introduction at Kraziness in the Kennel – a moment five months in the making, but one that was never guaranteed.

No phone this time, but still a snapshot to savor as the transfer walked through a billow of artificial smoke to a loud applause, waving his left hand to the sellout crowd before joining a line of Gonzaga teammates near center court.

Grant-Foster’s NCAA waiver process still hasn’t crossed the finish line, but the former Grand Canyon standout made a step toward debuting for Gonzaga earlier in the week when he was cleared to practice with the Zags.

Saturday felt like another significant stride for Grant-Foster, who wasn’t scheduled to arrive in Spokane at the start of the week, let alone participate in the 20-minute intrasquad scrimmage that took place at the end of Kraziness.“We weren’t planning on playing him today, but he kind of wanted to do it,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “I mean he’s only had two practices trying to figure out what we’re doing on offense and defense. But yeah, it’s been definitely nice to finally get him up here and get him around the guys.”

The Zags anticipate the basketball portion will come in time, so long as Grant-Foster’s competitive eligibility waiver is processed at some point before the team opens the season on Nov. 3 against Texas Southern.

Grant-Foster was in the starting lineup for the “White” team and totaled 14 minutes. He looked rusty at times, but the final stat line – zero points on 0 of 4 from the field with two assists and one turnover – hardly felt consequential for someone who will spend the coming weeks building chemistry with teammates, learning Gonzaga’s system and solidifying his role with the 2025-26 group.

“It feels great to have Tyon here,” senior forward Graham Ike said. “He’s the piece our team needed, brings great energy, great effort and he’s really eager to play with us. Just learn the way that we play and just have a great time.”

Saturday’s festivities were a positive reprieve for the 25-year-old transfer who’d already been through a handful of physical and emotional setbacks as a college basketball player before spending seven months in limbo with the NCAA, unsure if or when the sport’s governing body would approve his eligibility waiver.

“Just smiling from ear to ear since he’s been here, man,” Ike said. “We’re just trying to bring him along slowly but surely. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it was built. So we’ll build it with him.”

Gonzaga coach Mark Few acknowledged the frustrations most in the program have felt awaiting word from the NCAA on Grant-Foster’s waiver. He also said the GU hasn’t been given a timeline on when to expect a final decision.

“It doesn’t matter what we expect,” Few said. “Obviously the timing’s super frustrating, but it’s kind of the way it goes with these things so. They (the NCAA) have their own pace about them.”