Former Iowa State Guard Caleb Grill Commits to Missouri
After being dismissed from Iowa State in the latter portion of the 2022-23 season and entering the transfer portal, guard Caleb Grill has found his new home. He’s transferring to Missouri, he announced Thursday on Twitter.
Over the course of his four-year career at Iowa State and UNLV, Grill has averaged 6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. That included averages of 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest this past year, as he participated in 25 games, starting 22 of them.
Upon the news of his dismissal in early March, head coach T.J. Otzelberger released just a brief statement on the decision, after which Grill released a lengthy one of his own. With reporters, Otzelberger, then provided a much longer statement on the matter.
“So, Caleb and I have known each other I think for probably somewhere around six years,” Otzelberger started, when asked by a group of reporters. “We’ve had a relationship. And you develop a bond. You care for somebody. You want them to be successful. I’ve had a belief in him for a long time, enough of a belief in him to want him here with us at Iowa State. And you want them to be successful. You want him to be successful. I’d say even as things move forward, I’m a fan of Caleb Grill and I want Caleb Grill to do well, and I’ll continue to have his back moving forward, however he wants to do that.
“And at the same time, you know, it’s really important as the leader of this program that the decisions that we make every single day, always, are in the best interest of our program, as much as I want a certain individual like Caleb to be successful. And with our team, we’ve got a lot in front of us still this year. And our guys have a tremendous focus. We had a great practice this morning, and we have a great opportunity come this Saturday.
“So, I’m always going to be there for Caleb. I’m always going to support him and continue to support him, based on a relationship that goes back many years. But we’re gonna turn our focus to do what we need to do to be successful and win our game Saturday and continue to improve with our team this season moving forward.”
With Grill no longer in the fold, the Cyclones finished the season with a 19-14 record and 9-9 mark in the Big 12. They were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by Pittsburgh 59-41 in the first round.
His new home of Missouri, meanwhile, finished the 2022-23 campaign with a 25-10 record and defeated Utah State 76-65 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Princeton 78-63 in the Round of 32.
