Missouri star Caleb Grill was taken off the court on a stretcher on Wednesday night after he went down with a scary head and neck injury in their win over Lindenwood.
Grill was transported to a local hospital. A team spokesperson told the Columbia Daily Tribune that Grill is responsive, and that he was taken to the hospital out of caution. Further specifics on his injury are not yet known.
Grill was fighting for a rebound in the lane during the contest at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, but he was awkwardly hit in the head at just the right angle that caused his neck to snap back hard as he was in the air. Grill immediately fell to the court as play moved elsewhere, and he curled up into a ball while holding the back of his head.
He remained on the court for nearly 10 minutes receiving treatment before he was stretchered off the floor. He gave a thumbs up to the crowd on his way out.
Official update on Caleb Grill per @MizzouHoops
“Caleb suffered a head and neck injury in the first half. He is responsive and was taken to the hospital out of precaution.”
Grill gave a thumb’s up as he was taken off the court pic.twitter.com/KFBqjBtjhQ— Ben Arnet (@BenArnetKOMU) November 28, 2024
“We’re awaiting results of a CT scan,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates said after the game, via the Daily Tribune. “Whenever you have a head or neck injury, you want to be [cautious] and have some caution with that. And that’s what that was all about, making sure that he was OK. He was responsive, talking the entire time when I was down there in the huddle with him. He even rolled out with his thumb up. So, that was a good sign to see in that respect.”
Grill had two points and one steal in seven minutes when he went down with the injury. Grill, the team’s leading scorer, missed most of last season with a wrist injury. He’s averaging 15.5 points per game while shooting nearly 59% from the field and better than 55% from behind the arc.
“To my knowledge, he was responsive with us, leaving this arena with his thumbs up, rolling out,” Gates said. “And again, (caution) is the area we’re going to always take when you get an elbow in the back of the neck, head area. So, credit to our team, our EMS team. They did a great job, and I’m very thankful.”
Missouri holds a 6-1 record on the season after the win. The Tigers’ lone loss came against Memphis in their season opener. They’ll take on Cal next on Tuesday.