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Kentucky continues transfer portal additions with former West Virginia G
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Kentucky is busy in the NCAA transfer portal assembling the roster for the first season under Mark Pope.
The Wildcats have had a busy Wednesday of transfer commitments. After landing Dayton transfer Koby Brea, a standout 3-point shooter, UK landed another player out of the portal.
Former West Virginia guard Kerr Kriisa has pledged to continue his college basketball career in Lexington.
West Virginia Guard Kerr Kriisa commits to KENTUCKY pic.twitter.com/ER92gAic8R
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) May 1, 2024
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Pope finally gets his man
While coaches sometimes become aware of a player when taking stock of who is in the portal, Kriisa has been on Pope’s radar for years.
The 2024 cycle is Pope’s third time pursuing Kriisa. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony noted that Pope recruited Kriisa out of high school and again when Kriisa transferred out of Arizona.
NEWS: West Virginia transfer Kerr Kriisa has committed to Kentucky, he told ESPN.
Head coach Mark Pope pursued Kriisa on two separate occasions out of high school and upon transferring out of Arizona, finally securing his commitment the third time around. pic.twitter.com/bq097TvuIN
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 1, 2024
The third time’s the charm, as they say.
What the Wildcats are getting in Kriisa
Three-point shooting is Kriisa’s strength. He’s not quite Brea from beyond the arc, but his game will play in Lexington.
In 3 seasons at Arizona, Kriisa shot 35.2% from 3-point territory. With the Wildcats, Kriisa shot 6.6 3-pointers per game, making 2.3.
Six 3-pointers for Kerr Kriisa in Arizona’s Pac-12 opener, showcasing his deep range. Elite pick and roll passer who is also one of the toughest, most fiery guards in college basketball. pic.twitter.com/tZ1EUtZ4Ry
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) January 4, 2022
At West Virginia, Kriisa’s 3-point shooting improved. He shot a total of 189 field goald, making 81 to shoot 42.9% from the field. The bulk of those field-goal attempts were triples. Kriisa was 61-of-144 from beyond the arc in his WVU season, a 42.4% 3-point shooter.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
