Missouri star Caleb Grill was taken off the field on a stretcher Wednesday night after going down with a scary head and neck injury during the win over Lindenwood.
Grill was transported to a local hospital. A team spokesperson told the Columbia Daily Tribune that Grill is responding and that he was taken to the hospital out of an abundance of caution. Further details about his injury are not yet known.
Grill fought for a rebound in the lane during the game at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, but he was hit awkwardly on the head at the right angle, causing his neck to snap back hard while he was in the air. Grill immediately fell to the field as the play moved elsewhere, and he curled up into a ball while holding the back of his head.
He remained on the field for almost ten minutes and received treatment before being stretchered off the floor. On the way out, he gave a thumbs up to the crowd.
Official update on Caleb Grill as of @MizzouHoops
“Caleb suffered a head and neck injury in the first half. He is responding and has been taken to hospital as a precaution.”
Grill gave a thumbs up as he was taken off the field pic.twitter.com/KFBqjBtjhQ— Ben Arnet (@BenArnetKOMU) November 28, 2024
“We are awaiting the results of a CT scan,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates said after the game, via the Daily Tribune. “Any time you have a head or neck injury, you want to be that way [cautious] and be a little careful with that. And that’s what it was all about, making sure everything was fine. He responded and talked all the time when I was down there in the group with him. He even rolled out with a thumbs up. So that was a good sign to see in that regard.”
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 due to a wrist injury. He is averaging 15.5 points per game while shooting almost 59% from the field and better than 55% from behind the arc.
“As far as I know, he responded to us and left the arena with his thumbs up and rolled out,” Gates said. “And again, (caution) is the area that we will always deal with if you get an elbow in the back of the neck, in the head area. So all credit to our team, our EMS team. They did a great job, and I am very grateful.”
Missouri has a 6-1 record on the season following the win. The Tigers’ lone loss came to Memphis in their season opener. They will take on Cal on Tuesday.
