Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger says he remains a fan of Caleb Grill even though he is no longer part of the team. Otzelberger dismissed ISU’s top three point shooter from the team on Wednesday, just days before the Cyclones close the regular season at seventh ranked Baylor.

Grill played for Otzelberger at UNLV and followed him to Ames when he took the Iowa State job. He averaged nearly 10 points while playing in 25 games this season.

In a statement Grill said the dismissal stemmed from a word he said that he regrets. Otzelberger did not want to discuss any specific incident.

Otzelberger says he has to balance what is best for the player against what is best for the team.

The Cyclones have lost four straight games heading into Saturday’s contest at Baylor.