Family of former Maize HS star Caleb Grill thrilled to watch him in Wichita for March Madness

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - In the twilight of a college career that’s featured prior stops at UNLV and Iowa State, former Kansas high school basketball star Caleb Grill, a Maize product, is playing perhaps the best basketball of his career at Missouri, a top-25 team with realistic hopes of making a deep NCAA Tournament run. Adding to the moment for Grill is that this March Madness journey is beginning in his own backyard as the Tigers are one of eight teams playing in Wichita this week.

In a game that tips off at 6:35 p.m., Missouri, seeded sixth in the West Region, faces 11th-seeded Drake. It will be the first time that Grill will play in front of a home crowd since his days playing for his dad, Chris Grill, at Maize High School.

“I think it’s gonna be really awesome to see him here in town,” Chris Grill said. “

“I think for him, it’s gonna be really cool to see all these people who’ve traveled to watch him play only have to travel 15 minutes to watch him play,” Caleb’s mother, Lena, added.

Caleb’s family was stunned when they heard Missouri is coming to Wichita.

“To see all those names popping up and our youngest son, Alec was like, ‘They’re going to Wichita,’” Lena recalled. “When it popped up, we were screaming and yelling and crying.”

Caleb’s parents have traveled to all of his games, but now they get to stay home to see him on the season’s biggest stage so far.

“There will be a lot of people there, a lot of friends, too,” Chris said. “I think a lot of people that don’t get the opportunity to watch him play, it’s just nice to be able to have him here this close.”

It’s been a long journey for Caleb with stops at Iowa State, UNLV and back to Iowa State before landing at Mizzou.

“I don’t think we could’ve dreamed up a better final year for him,” Lena said.

Caleb is having the best overall season of his college career, one in which family, friends and fans hope continues past this week’s homecoming.

“It’s fun to support [Missouri]. I think it’s my favorite team to watch that [Caleb has] been on,” said Caleb’s younger brother, Kyle Grill.

As Caleb’s college career comes to a close at the end of Missouri’s NCAA Tournament run, his brothers have a message for him.

“Just compete like he always has done his whole life,” Kyle said. “I mean, if he does that, any possible problem is solved. Like, he’s been competitive and supporting his teammates and I thin that’s all he really needs to do. Everything else will figure itself out.”

Looking ahead to Thursday’s game inside INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Caleb talked about the special chance to play in front of a “home” crowd.

“Yeah, you know, it was exciting,” he said of seeing his team’s NCAA Tournament assignment for the opening round. “Wherever we played I was going to be excited, wherever we went, and the fact that we got Wichita, real close to home is just even more exciting.”

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