Ex-Arizona point guard Kerr Kriisa back in NCAA transfer portal in take of Bob Huggins resignation at West Virginia
Kerr Kriisa wanted a fresh start after three seasons at Arizona. Now he made need another.
The former UA point guard has re-entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, a move spurred by the sudden resignation of West Virginia coach Bob Huggins on Saturday.
“It’s been a crazy and busy week,” Kriisa told Givony. “I’m deeply sorry about the situation, as I was really looking forward to playing for Coach Huggins. Huggs will always be my guy. I’ve only known him for a few months now, but he is the most genuine man I have ever met. He is the man.”
Man.. I knew the dude 3 months but felt like forever. So thankful for really believing in me and taking me as part of your family forever. Love u coach. — Kerr (@KerrKriisa) June 18, 2023
Huggins resigned Saturday in the wake of his DUI arrest the night before in Pennsylvania. It was the second high-profile incident for the Hall of Fame coach, who in May used a homophobic slur on a radio show while describing the rivalry between Cincinnati—where he coached from 1989-2005—and Xavier. Huggins’ salary was reduced by $1 million and his contract became a year-to-year deal as a result of those comments.
Kriisa committed to West Virginia in April, picking the Mountaineers over Cincinnati, Memphis and Nebraska. Those schools are all likely to go after him again, as will others, but Kriisa said he’s open to returning to Morgantown.
“I will still consider coming back when the new coach is announced,” he said. “For now, I’m entering the portal, and want to get this figured out as soon as possible.”
Kriisa, and all other West Virginia players, were granted a 30-day window to enter the portal due to Huggins’ departure. The portal had closed for all non-graduate transfers in mid-May.
A 2-year starter at Arizona, Kriisa led the Pac-12 in assists per game in 2022-23 and total assists the season before. His 83 made 3-pointers last year were tied with USC’s Boogie Ellis and fellow Wildcat Courtney Ramey for most in the conference.
“Kerr’s a special guy,” UA coach Tommy Lloyd said Friday. “I loved coaching him. His spirit was contagious and he really helped this program. He helped me, really kind of helped establish his program and build a great foundation. He was a part of tons of wins and impacted numerous games and. A lot of the games he was the deciding factor. I have no doubt in my mind Kerr is going to be successful in basketball, whether it’s at another school or professionally. He’s just a really good basketball player. I enjoyed coaching him and I look forward to following his career.”
Ristic signs with Spanish pro club
Going undrafted after a solid college career, like Azuolas Tubelis just did, isn’t a professional death sentence. Just ask Dusan Ristic, who is entering his sixth season in Europe after signing with Spanish club Lenovo Tenerife.
It’s my pleasure to be a part of @CB1939Canarias ! Excited to get back to Spain and @ACBCOM league! #VamosCanarias https://t.co/R3NBaWBLgc — Dušan Ristić (@ristic_dusan) June 23, 2023
enovo, also known as CB Canarias, plays in Liga ACB, the top pro league in Spain. It finished sixth in Liga ACB this past year but won the 2023 FIBA Interncontinental Cup.
The 27-year-old Ristic, who played for the UA from 2014-18, spent the 2022-23 season with Galatasaray SK in the Turkish Super League, where he averaged 8.1 points and 4.9 rebounds, and also spent time in Liga ACB with Urbas Fuenlabrada. He has also played in Russia, Italy, Kazakhstan and his native Serbia, winning multiple league titles.
Ristic played in 141 games for the Wildcats, scoring 1,181 points.
Source: Arizona Desert Swarm
