Iowa State basketball coach answers questions after senior guard dismissal

AMES, Iowa (KCCI) - The head coach for the Iowa State men’s basketball team answered questions Thursday for the first time since Senior Guard Caleb Grill was dismissed from the team.

The program announced earlier this week, Grill would no longer be on the team.

It said it was due to a “failure to meet the program’s expectations.” Grill played 25 games this season, averaging 9.5 points a game.

In a statement on Twitter earlier this week, he said he hopes to share his story about mental health and mental illness he has struggled with.

Head Coach TJ Otzelberger has known Grill for six years.

He said regardless of how difficult a choice may be for him personally, he has to make the best choices for the team.

“All those daily habits that we talk about and things that are important in our program and upholding those standards, we’ve got to make sure that those are intact every single day,” Otzelberger said.

Otzelberger said he couldn’t comment on Grill’s mental health, but he said all players have access to mental health resources.

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