West Virginia Beat Writer Says Kerr Kriisa Can ‘Really Facilitate an Offense’

It’s been quite the day for Kentucky basketball. The latest in a series of UK commitments comes from West Virginia transfer Kerr Kriisa.

Kriisa, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound point guard, averaged 11 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game while starting 23 games for West Virginia in 2023-24. He shot 42.9 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from three-point range.

Kentucky should be very familiar with players from WVU at this point. Ethan Bock, reporter with West Virginia Sports Now covering the Mountaineers, told KSR+ that “the West Virginia to Kentucky pipeline has been strong for a while.”

“Kerr Kriisa becomes the third Mountaineer transfer in three seasons to head to Kentucky,” Bock said. “This time it’s with Mark Pope. I think Kerr will fit well under Mark Pope with where Pope came from under the [Rick] Pitino tree. That’s the perfect fit for Kerr.”

Kerr Kriisa Can Shoot the Ball

There’s no doubt that Kerr Kriisa can knock down the long ball. With 6.3 three-point attempts per game last season, Kriisa isn’t afraid to let it fly.

“He turns the ball over a lot, but he definitely makes up for it with his three-point shooting and his ability to pass the ball,” Bock said. “He’ll still make some plays in transition or in the regular half-court offense. It’s actually impressive. He knows where guys are going to be two passes ahead. He can really facilitate an offense.”

No matter how much West Virginia was down by last season, Kriisa always seemed like he was the one player leaving it all on the floor. WVU went 9-23 last season, but you wouldn’t know it just watching Kriisa.

“It didn’t matter how much they were losing by or if it was a 40-point blowout, he was still going out there and playing,” Bock said.

Kriisa averaged a career-high 2.9 turnovers per game last season. That’s the clear area of his game in need of improvement.

“He would try to get too fancy at some points,” Bock said. “Now at Kentucky, he’ll have guys that give him inside presence, perimeter shooting, versatile guys that can play multiple positions. That really helps him. He just has to slow down at times. I think he plays too fast for a lot of guys.”

The Fit with Mark Pope

For Kriisa to be successful, he needs a certain type of coach. He needs someone who can “put him down, but bring him back up,” Bock said.

“He needs a sicko coach,” Bock said. “He needs a coach who’s going to motivate him in weird ways, but will also be the first to hug Kerr after the game. Mark Pope is a very nice man, but coming from that Pitino tree, I guarantee he has some sicko coach in him. Kerr will fit under that as well.”

Pope’s team at BYU was excellent last season at passing the ball, playing with tempo, and knocking down shots. That should bode well for Kriisa.

“They were one of the more elite teams offensively in the whole country last year,” Bock said. “Kerr is going to fit play style for sure.”

‘It Was Night and Day’ After Kerr Kriisa Returned

Kerr Kriisa started the 2023-24 season on a nine-game suspension after admitting to accepting impermissible benefits during his time at Arizona. During those nine games, West Virginia was one of the slowest teams in the country, while also playing shorthanded.

Upon Kriisa’s return, things sped up. It was like “night and day,” Bock said.

“When Kerr came back, all of a sudden, they went from one of the slowest teams in the country to playing too quickly,” he said. “A lot of Kerr’s teammates weren’t ready for a lot of passes in the corner because Kerr just knew where they were going way ahead of where these guys even were supposed to be.”

If there’s one thing you can say about Kriisa, it’s that he has a big personality. Bock said he needs a “certain coach to really thrive as a player.”

“He’s not going to beat around the bush, he’s just going to tell you how it is,” Bock said. “Sometimes it might come off wrong to some Kentucky fans, but he really does care. He’s one of West Virginia’s only players who cared for the entire season.”

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