Kerr Kriisa committed to West Virginia after his last season at Arizona, but the process and the journey wasn't easy for him to get to this point, along with international challenges and the changes that quickly came for WVU men's hoops.
Kriisa is point guard who's originally from Estonia, but college here in the United States wasn't always going to be his first plan, instead he said he considered going to the professional ranks overseas.
"Growing up, I didn't really know much about college, I just knew some bigger schools. My goal wasn't to go to college and I was very close to going pro but I saw how the pro life is when you’re not on the top teams and then started looking into college options," Kriisa said. "At the end of the day, college looked so much more fun for me personally and also better for my development."
Taking his talents to the NCAA, Kriisa chose Arizona after looking over his college options. Kerr played three seasons for the Wildcats and led the PAC-12 conference in assists a season ago, played all 35 games and averaged just under 10 points at 9.9 per game. Once the season finished up, he said it was time to move on which led to his choice to transfer to WVU.
"The reason why I left Arizona is that I just felt it was time to move on. I had a great three years there. I love those dudes still now, there was no beef or no harm going out. We talked about what I was trying to do and they understood it, there was no beef," Kriisa said.
When the news about former head coach Bob Huggins' resignation surfaced after Kerr was already a part of the team, Kriisa resubmitted his name to the transfer portal since he came for Coach Huggins and other college coaches deserve a chance to recruit him, including interim head coach Josh Eilert. However, the foundation they had built here brought him back in and his role has evolved under Eilert.
"It was a messy week for sure. Basically I committed to Coach Bob Huggins and when he was gone, I felt that everybody deserved a chance to recruit me again, including Josh Eilert," Kriisa said. "The first time I chose West Virginia, I saw the roster and said I can come here and move the ball around and now my role is a little different. I have to start shooting more, which is weird with my instincts. I'm a pass-first point guard so it's hard to be a little selfish."
Now that Kriisa is solidified on the Mountaineers' roster and has found his new home, his playmaking style is something he thinks people could be excited about. He believes that he is a creative player and a leader but that there is still room to improve in all areas while he's here.
"I think I'm a creative player. I would consider myself a leader and try to hold everybody accountable. I want to be the best player I can be and improve on every aspect I can improve on," Kriisa said.
Kriisa's development in Morgantown and his whole journey across the world to play basketball has been more than just a development of skill but also a feat of overcoming mental challenges as well.
"I think I've grown as a person for sure. I moved away from home when I was 15. I played in Lithuania for a few years but that's a one hour flight from Estonia. That was a problem, being so far from home. It's all mental more," Kriisa said.
Now, with the new season nearby for Kriisa and a fresh roster of Mountaineers, he said that there's a special quality about the team and that people may be doubting what Eliert and WVU are building.
"I think it's super special, especially if we’re trying to do something big here, to have a good team chemistry and we’re doing an amazing job at it," Kriisa said. "I think people are doubting us and I think it’s better that way. I think it's so exciting because we have a lot of potential here and it can be really special."
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