Mizzou’s Caleb Grill named SEC Sixth Man of the Year, two other Tigers recognized
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
To absolutely no one's surprise, Mizzou hoops star Caleb Grill has been named the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year. He joined two other Tiger standouts in being recognized by the conference, on Monday, ahead of the upcoming Southeastern Conference Tournament in Nashville.
In addition to Grill's award, forward Mark Mitchell was also a Third-Team All-SEC selection, while guard Anthony Robinson was named to the conference's All-Defensive Team.
Grill, a Kansas-native, has been a spark plug off the bench for head coach Dennis Gates' team all year long. He averaged 14.2 points per game, shooting at a 49 percent clip from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range. The graduate student led the Tigers with 74 made 3-pointers in the 2024-25 regular season.
He ranked third in the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage in his final collegiate season, while also coming in at No. 21 in the nation in that category. His game-high 31 points against Eastern Washington in November is the 10th-best season high in the SEC, as well.
More than the production he provided on the floor, Grill was also a source of energy and drive for Mizzou. Time and time again, Gates has hammered home that the guard will be a head coach one day, as he acted as a coach on the floor for his teammates.
Mitchell's first season in the Southeastern Conference was one to remember.
After transferring in from Duke in the offseason, the Kansas City native got off to a slow start in SEC play. Over the summer, he told the media that he was looking to get back to playing like himself and, boy, did he, beginning in Feb.
Every since a dominant, 25-point outing in Mizzou's win over Oklahoma on Feb. 12, the forward has averaged 20 points per game, with his season-best outing coming in the form of a 31-point outburst against Alabama. Overall, he averaged 14.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this season. Mitchell also registered a team-high 25 blocks and came in second on the team in rebounding, behind 7-footer Josh Gray.
Robinson's defensive efforts in his sophomore campaign deserved some accolades.
The Florida-native tallied a team-high 61 steals in his second year in Columbia, which ranked second in the Southeastern Conference. The 6-foot-3 guard was also a threat on the defensive boards. He was fourth on Mizzou's team with 66 defensive rebounds this season.
Gates' has said that in his sophomore campaign, Robinson has grown into a great disrupter on the defensive end of the floor.
Up next - Mizzou will look to make a run in the SEC Tournament. The Tigers will either face Mississippi State or LSU in the second round on Thursday, March 13 at 6 p.m.
