Top point guard transfer Kerr Kriisa commits to West Virginia

By SAM LANCE

Former Arizona point guard Kerr Kriisa, a top 15 player in the transfer portal per Evan Miya, has committed to Bob Huggins and West Virginia. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony broke the news.

NEWS; Kerr Kriisa, the No. 1 point guard in the NCAA transfer portal, has committed to West Virginia, he told ESPN. Kriisa led the Pac-12 in assists while shooting 37% for 3 last season, helping Arizona win the Pac-12 tournament championship. Huge pickup for Bob Huggins. pic.twitter.com/bbs9OWYsfN

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 5, 2023

“I wanted to start from zero,” Kriisa said to Givony. “I didn’t want to go anywhere where I had preexisting relationships. I need to challenge myself. I really liked how they recruited me. Jay Kuntz and the entire staff. When I saw the old truck that Bob Huggins is driving, I knew that guy was loyal. Now I need to start playing some defense.”

Kriisa, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound point guard from Tartu, Estonia, averaged 9.9 points, 5.1 assists and 2.5 rebounds for Arizona last season. He also shot 37.2% from the field and 36.6% from 3.

As Arizona’s point guard the past two seasons, Kriisa has led the Wildcats to a Pac 12 regular season championship (2021-22) and a Pac 12 tournament title (2022-23). Both those years, the Wildcats were a top-2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Kriisa also led the Pac 12 in assists for two straight seasons.

Kriisa chose West Virginia over Arkansas, Nebraska, Ole Miss and Xavier, per Givony. He will join two other transfers — Manhattan’s Jose Perez and Omar Silverio — on the Mountaineer roster next season. However, both those players transferred to West Virginia in October, making Kriisa Huggins’ first addition of the offseason.

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