NCAA Basketball Recruiting: 25 hidden freshmen stars from the 2019 class

Caleb Grill, Iowa State Cyclones

PG | 6-foot-3 | 180 lbs | No. 172 overall

Iowa State has been one of the nation’s most overlooked programs for the last several years. The Cyclones have reached the NCAA Tournament in seven of the last eight years as they have emerged as one of the top teams in the Big 12. They are coming off a very strong season by landing a No. 6 seed but lost their three leading scorers. Heading into this coming season, there are still several returning pieces but there is a lack of backcourt depth on the roster behind Tyrese Haliburton. As a result, it seems likely that incoming freshman Caleb Grill will see his fair share of playing time.

Grill, who is ranked as the No. 172 overall prospect in the class, is a true point guard that could be one of the team’s top contributors this year. He will likely be competing with incoming transfer Prentiss Nixon and fellow freshman Tre Jackson for a starting spot but will, at the very least, be one of the top reserves on the roster. Iowa State will need someone to emerge as a primary playmaker this year and Grill could fill that role. Although he is mostly known as a scorer, Grill uses his athleticism well to prove the inside and find open teammates.

Iowa State has had incredible success with point guards in recent years and Grill could be the next in that long line. He is an above-average athlete, can knock down plenty of threes, and is quite opportunistic on the defensive end of the floor. Grill displays combo guard tendencies and could be one of the top newcomers to the program this season. I would also watch out for Jackson, though, who could easily usurp this spot in the article if he is the one that winds up winning more minutes. Jackson is another talented guard that can space the floor quite well.