Second Chance: Caleb Grill determined to capitalize on final season

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Mizzou guard Caleb Grill remembers his first college basketball game like it was yesterday.

"A lot of people's dream is to play Division I basketball, and then, just kind of like got out there and played. But, when I got to halftime, I just kind of sat back and had the realization like 'wow, I really like accomplished this dream goal of mine'. Now, how can I move forward and make another dream goal come forward," Grill said. "It was just kind of like the first time I was out there it was just like jitters, and I was just running around like I had all the energy in the world."

Today, the sixth-year veteran is preparing for a new campaign, excited for another opportunity to compete at the collegiate level.

"I think your first game of the year is kind of like that, even when each new year comes, everyone's all amped up and excited to get back on the court," Grill said.

However, a sixth season in the league was not always certain. Grill's 2023-24 debut with the Tigers was expected to be his last as a player until a season-ending wrist injury cut his final campaign short. From there, it was a waiting game to determine if he could gain another year of eligibility, but Grill and his family never lost faith that he'd get a second chance to take the court again.

"We tried to get him back. It just wasn't acting right. It would swell up when he would try to return, but he wanted to tough it out. He was saying 'coach, 'I'll put duct tape on it'," head coach Dennis Gates said. "For me, I think we had to play the big picture, and the picture was to redshirt him obviously and bring him back."

"I just knew like there was going to be a way. I never put that doubt in my mind because I didn't want to have that doubt in my mind, just wanted to prepare myself for the next season," Grill said.

Back in June, the NCAA approved a medical hardship waiver for Grill, allowing him to suit up for one last season. On this year's young, new-look team, Grill has emerged as a leader, being named a captain for the upcoming campaign. Through the time he spent recovering from injury, the graduate's leadership started to shine.

"When he realized this injury was probably not going to bring him back, he just looked at it as an opportunity to continue to grow as not only a player but as a person, being surrounded by Coach Gates and his staff," Lena Grill, Caleb's mom, said.

"Caleb Grill has grown, as it relates to mentally, emotionally and obviously physically. We know what he is capable of. I think his leadership has been intentional, and when you look at the big picture, he strives to be a coach one day and that's where we began with his leadership, inserting it while he was out last season and him seeing a different lens from a different view versus being in the weeds as a player. He was able to take a step back and look at every part of the game," Gates said. "What I was satisfied with and why he was named captain is because of what he brought to those guys who were newcomers. I saw him building a bridge for those guys for them to understand our philosophy and what my expectations were."

Grill also has clear goals in mind for himself and the team. The Wichita native has his eyes set on leading the program back to the big dance in his final year on the court.

"First and foremost, going back to the NCAA Tournament. There's really like no feeling like it. I just remember, the first time I ever went, everyone's like "oh, it's the best feeling, it's the best feeling,' so there was all this hype and anticipation," Grill said. "I want everybody here to feel that feeling again."

After he hangs up his MU jersey for the final time, Grill wants basketball to remain an important part of his life. He is planning to pursue a collegiate coaching career, using the lessons he learned from the time he was recovering from injury to make a difference in the lives of other student-athletes.

"I think all the experiences that you've had, you've gone through and overcome, you know, adversity are experiences you can share with your team, but you also have empathy for your players that you're coaching," Chris Grill, Caleb's dad, said. "I think [Caleb] learned a lot. He's been in a lot of different situations. He's played injured a lot throughout his career, and so, he understands a little bit of that. I think that will go a long way with his players."

"When you're 18 years old, you're moving away from your family and that becomes like your new guardians, and I want to be somebody in the future where I can be like a guardian," Grill said. "Being a guardian for [student-athletes] and helping guide them through life and be a mentor through them."

Grill tips off his sixth season of college basketball on Monday, Nov. 4 at Memphis.