Summer Sessions: Caleb Grill
Over the next few weeks, we'll run a Q&A with every player on the Mizzou basketball roster for the 2023-24 season. We continue today with graduate senior guard Caleb Grill, who transferred from Iowa State.
How have your first couple of weeks at Missouri been?
CG: It's been good. It's been an adjustment to make. Obviously, being with a coach for three years, it's a lot different coming here. But it's been going good, everybody's been getting really adjusted well.
Do you feel like it's been a bigger adjustment kind of on the court for you or more kind of fitting into a new town, new school?
CG: I would say on the court and just the schedule, it's a lot different here. You know, it's a player-ran program where I haven't been a part of that. So it's just kind of on your own time. I mean, outside of practice and weights, you just kind of create your own schedule and I haven't really been a part of that in my college career. So that part's been different getting used to.
Is that something you enjoy?
CG: Yeah, 50-50. I like it because some days where maybe I don't want to do something, I don't have to do it. But then there's other days where it's like, I want to do something but like, you set it up yourself. And it's a little bit — it's just different. But I think in the end, I'll like it a lot better once I get more used to it and everything. But it's been good getting adjusted to it.
Tell me a little bit about why you came to Mizzou. You know, going into the transfer portal, what made you pick Mizzou?
CG: I just, I really came to Mizzou because of, you know, (head coach Dennis) Gates and the coaching staff, I really liked how they handled themselves on and off the court. I think what they do is what's best for the players. And you know, there's a lot of organizations that aren't like that. And seeing what they did in their first year here with the development piece of their players, I think, you know, for my one year, I think I could have got a lot from that. And that's why I came here, because I thought my development piece could have went up through the roof, higher than any other place.
You mentioned, you know, you've got one year left. There's a lot of players here that are kind of like that. Does it help having that kind of experience with the number of new players coming into this team?
CG: Yeah, I think if you look at all our transfers, everyone's been to the NCAA tournament. Curt (Lewis) won a JUCO national championship but, you know, Connor (Vanover) has been in an Elite Eight, I've been in a Sweet 16, you know, (John) Tonje and Tamar (Bates) have been in the NCAA tournament as well. So, I think just that experience of knowing how to win throughout the regular season and winning in conference play is huge because no matter what level you're at, I think that you can elevate because you know how to win, different ways to win, even though it may not be the same level. They've all won at a very high level. I mean, you can say (Tonje was at) Colorado State in the Mountain West but they were a six-seed in the NCAA tournament that year. Tamar, obviously in the Big 10, one of the best leagues in the country. You know, Connor obviously has been in the Pac-12, SEC and what he did at Oral Roberts, I mean, they went 21-0. So, just the winning aspect that everybody brings is what's good about all the transfers.
For people who haven't seen you play before, how would you describe your game and how do you feel like it fits into what this team does?
CG: I think I can do a little bit of everything. I think here they give me a little bit more freedom, you get to be outside your comfort zone and shell. So I think I could be a really good defender for us this year, on and off the ball. I believe, you know, the style that we play, I think it really fits me defensively. And then on the offensive end, I have the ability to make shots and make the right plays and make the right passes to the teammates. So I think it's just something where I'll be able to expand my game more this year and I think, going back to your first couple questions of why I came here, I think them allowing the opportunity to have a little bit more freedom offensively, you know, I think that can really showcase everything that I have. Because I don't want to say I haven't been able to do that, but you know, here, that's just how they play. And so I'll have more of a chance to do those things that people haven't seen.
We talked about the development piece of it, what are some of the things that you want to get better at while you're here?
CG: I think just more consistency shooting the ball. I believe, you know, the last couple of years I've shot about just under 40% from 3. And you know, my goal, I want to shoot over 40% during this year, that's a big piece for me. And then being able to move off the ball a lot better, I feel like I'm really good moving off the ball and I just feel like the offense and the flow here gives me the opportunity. I think I can really showcase and bring my development to another level.
Going into your last year, are there any bucket list goals you want to cross off before the season's over with?
CG: I want to win some kind of championship. You know, I've won a Thanksgiving tournament. But like, I think winning the league, winning the league tournament championship and then — you know, I've been to the second weekend in the tournament — going into the third weekend and playing in the Final Four is really something that I think we really do have the potential to do. We've got a lot of depth, we've got a lot of players. And I think, you know, what people see outside of us is maybe not as good as they were last year. But I think we have more pieces to the puzzle than last year. So I think we have a team that can really compete for a league championship and a tournament championship and then, hopefully, lead us to the final four in April.
How excited are you for Jamaica?
CG: Yeah, it's gonna be fun. You know, summer's a grind. And I've been on a foreign tour before and going through the grind all summer and then just going home after, it doesn't feel right, you know? So being able to go through what we did and getting to reward ourselves with the foreign tour to Jamaica, I think it'll be relaxing and everybody will have a good time with each other. So that'll be something that's really fun, you know, kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most people here to go to Jamaica.
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