Iowa State men’s basketball’s third-leading scorer, Caleb Grill, was dismissed from the team on Wednesday, Cyclones coach T.J. Otzelberger announced.
Otzelberger made it clear Wednesday that Grill, who started 22 of 25 games this season, failed to meet the program’s expectations and was therefore no longer a member of the team.
Grill took to social media to tell his side of the story. In a series of notes app tweets, Grill provided some additional insight on what led to him being kicked off the team. Without revealing too much, Grill acknowledged that he’s no longer with Iowa State because of something he said.
“Unfortunately, I said something that I regret which has cost me the opportunity to finish out my dream at Iowa State,” Grill wrote in the statement. “I hope that the players and Iowa State fans can find it in their hearts to forgive me.”
— Caleb Grill (@caleb_grill0) March 1, 2023
Grill also revealed that he’s been dealing with mental illness.
“Lastly, one day when I am brave enough, I hope to be able to share my story about my mental health and my mental illness I have been battling through all season,” Grill wrote. “While everyone was commenting about the hair, or funny actions on the court, it was a way for me to get out of that state of mind and feel like me being myself instead of the dark place I have been in this season.
“If it was not for the love and support from family network back home … I am not sure I would be alive and I would have made a decision that would have affected so many people’s lives.”
As the Cyclones prepare for their conference tournament, which could make or break a potential tournament bid, they’ll have to do so without Grill, who averaged 9.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in 25 games.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.