Kentucky can't let Missouri's (Caleb) Grill get hot on Senior Day

MrsTylerKSR

Feb 1, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Caleb Grill (31) reacts after a three point basket against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

Missouri is built very similarly to Kentucky, with an elite offense and a defense that is, shall we say, a work in progress. The Tigers average 84.6 points per game, which ranks eighth nationally (Kentucky is third at 85.6), and are No. 5 in offensive efficiency in KenPom (Kentucky is No. 6). Missouri is averaging 91.7 points in its last seven games; that said, the Tigers also giving up 90.8 points over their last five. The Cats have made strides on defense in recent games, but the likelihood of tomorrow’s game being a shootout is high.

Missouri is particularly good at home, 18-1 this season, most notably beating Alabama 110-98 on Feb. 19. The Tigers are shooting 51.7% from the field and 39.7% from three-point range at Mizzou Arena. Two players seem to serve as catalysts for Missouri’s offense, and one of them doesn’t even start. Graduate guard Caleb Grill leads the Tigers in scoring with 14.4 points per game on 50% shooting off the bench. That average is No. 1 nationally among players with five or fewer starts and the most by a player coming off the bench in Missouri history.

In the last seven games, Grill is averaging 15.5 points. He had 25 in the win over Alabama and 28 in the overtime loss at Vanderbilt last Saturday. Grill is making an average of 2.9 three-pointers a game on 6.8 attempts. That’s better than Koby Brea, who is averaging 2.6 threes per game this season. Like Brea, as Grill goes, Mizzou goes. Grill is shooting 51.7% from three-point range in Missouri’s wins and just 22.6% in its losses. When he and Anthony Robinson II score their combined season average of 24 points, Missouri is 13-1; when they score under that mark, the Tigers are just 2-7.

Saturday also happens to be Grill’s Senior Day. He and six other Tigers will be honored before the game. Grill is 24 years old, now in his sixth year of college basketball after stops at Iowa State, UNLV, and ultimately, Mizzou, where he’s spent the past two seasons. He and senior starting guard Tamar Bates are two of just five returning players from last year’s squad that went 0-18 in SEC play. Today, Dennis Gates said that the duo deserves credit for sticking with the program and providing leadership to the 11 newcomers.

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“Those two guys, from a history standpoint, have forever etched their name a part of not just Missouri history for a great cause but when you look at college basketball history. Those two guys were a part of last year’s team. So, I wish everybody from last season could have been part of this, being able to write something and leave it better than it was when they found it.”

Looking at Grill’s headshot, he looks more like an investment banker than a basketball player; he actually does NIL commercials for a law firm, Stricklen and Stricklen, alongside The Antlers, Missouri’s student section.