Grill delivers as Iowa State topples No. 1 UNC

PORTLAND, Oregon — Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger had tears in his eyes as he sat subsequent to senior Caleb Grill on the postgame information convention.

Grill delivered what Otzelberger known as a “surreal” efficiency towards the No. 1 staff within the nation, scoring a career-high 31 factors and going 7-for-11 from past the arc because the Cyclones surprised North Carolina 70-65 within the Phil Knight Invitational semifinals at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

It was this system’s first win over a No. 1 staff since Jan. 18, 2016, in accordance with ESPN Stats & Data analysis. Iowa State will face the winner of Friday’s UConn-Alabama matchup.

For Otzelberger, Grill’s night time was particularly gratifying, contemplating the unbelievable journey the 2 have shared through the years. In keeping with Grill, Otzelberger was the primary one who ever recruited him, and he adopted Otzelberger because the coach moved throughout three totally different packages.

“It is simply superb if you actually take into consideration how lengthy we have recognized one another and the belief we have had in one another,” Otzelberger stated earlier than he paused to gather himself. “To have the ability to do that with individuals that you simply love, those who you are gonna be on this journey with for the remainder of your life — man, that is actually particular. It might be onerous to even put into phrases how proud I’m of Caleb Grill.”

Otzelberger was the pinnacle coach at South Dakota State when he met Grill, then a sophomore at Maize Excessive College in Maize, Kansas. Grill dedicated to SDSU, however when Otzelberger left for UNLV in 2019, Grill selected Iowa State. A 12 months later, nevertheless, he was again with Otzelberger at UNLV, after which he adopted him again to Iowa State final season when Otzelberger took the Cyclones job.

“Simply having him be the primary particular person that actually had perception in me, it is simply actually particular what he is performed for me and my household and every little thing we have performed,” Grill stated.

Grill and Jaren Holmes (22 factors), a St. Bonaventure switch, mixed to attain 53 of Iowa State’s 70 factors.

Getting into Friday’s recreation, Grill was 4-for-24 from the 3-point line this season.

Together with his staff down by seven factors with 3:57 to go, nevertheless, Grill made one among his seven 3-pointers, which kicked off Iowa State’s closing run to victory over the No. 1 staff within the nation.

“He was scorching your entire recreation,” North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis stated. “He is any person, percentage-wise, who wasn’t taking pictures effectively coming into the sport. It actually did not matter. He was feeling it at the moment.”

After the Tar Heels fought to keep away from a possible upset towards Portland on Thanksgiving Day, Davis stated he was apprehensive that his gamers had performed issues in that recreation that “we do not apply.” Davis additionally stated the Tar Heels have been coping with “reward” for the primary time because the nation’s No. 1 staff following final 12 months’s run to the nationwide title recreation.

Earlier than final 12 months’s run, Leaky Black had been the one participant on the roster who’d gained an NCAA match recreation.

However Davis stated Friday he isn’t apprehensive about his staff dropping its No. 1 spot as a result of a program’s standing in March exceeds any rankings in November.

“I keep in mind the nationwide champions,” he stated.

For Otzelberger, it is one other signal of progress for this system. Two years in the past, Iowa State fired Steve Prohm following a two-win season. In his first season as head coach, Otzelberger led the Cyclones to the Candy 16 final 12 months.

On Friday, he helped the staff win its first recreation over a No. 1 program in six years. And he did it with the assistance of a participant he stated he is at all times trusted.

Grill did not embrace the postgame hype, although. He stated he simply benefited from the alternatives his teammates had given him.

“I used to be simply staying the course of the sport,” Grill stated. “Credit score to my teammates for locating me on these open seems.”