If you've seen a time frame for a return, forget it, says Dennis Gates.
There is currently no set timetable for standout guard Caleb Grill to return to the court for Missouri basketball, according to the Tigers' head coach.
Gates also confirmed that Grill, who was taken to the hospital after sustaining a neck injury during MU's game against Lindenwood on Nov. 27, will not play for Mizzou against Kansas in the Border War matchup on Sunday afternoon in Columbia.
Some reports emerged ahead of the game against the Golden Bears that Grill had been given a timeline of two weeks to return. On Friday, Gates refuted those reports, calling them untrue.
"Caleb Grill is not going to play. He remains out. Any information out there that is talking about a timeline ain't true. It's not true," Gates told local media on Friday. "There is no timeline (that has) been discussed at all with doctors or even myself, and that information is not going to be out at that point. And it's not out, because … you cannot put a time limit on what took place."
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Grill had his head pulled back by an opposition player while challenging a rebound in the Nov. 27 game, and immediately fell to the hardwood after the contact. He was still on the court for approximately 10 minutes before being carried out of the arena on a backboard and taken to a local hospital.
The guard was discharged later that night after testing revealed no spinal cord damage, per a team spokesperson. Gates said Monday that Grill was "in great spirits."
Before sustaining the injury, Grill had made 21 of his previous 31 attempts from 3 over the course of four games. During that same timespan, he averaged 21.8 points per contest.
The senior guard was present at Mizzou's game against California on Tuesday evening and was wearing a neck brace.
Mizzou faces Kansas at noon Sunday in the fourth edition of the renewed rivalry of the historic border foes.
The official word from Missouri basketball since his injury has been that Grill is day-to-day.
Gates doubled down on that Friday.
"We're just treating it day by day, and that's the most important thing — that he came out on the positive side of a scare. And that's the timetable: day by day," Gates said. "No words, no time, no numbers, no weeks, no months has been issued to this. It hasn't been. And if you hear something out there that says that, it's not taking place. It's not true, and just please don't repeat it out there that, 'yeah, that's the timeline.' Because there's no timeline. I wish I could tell a timeline, but right now, that is not (possible)."
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri basketball's Caleb Grill ruled out for Border War vs Kansas
