Kerr Kriisa’s first season at West Virginia will also almost certainly prove to be his last.
The point guard became the first regular starter from last season’s team to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, where Kriisa will seek a new home and likely his third school for a fifth and final season of college basketball.
College basketball analyst Jeff Goodman was first to report Kriisa’s intention to enter the portal.
A 6-foot-3 native of Tartu, Estonia, Kriisa played three seasons at Arizona and one at West Virginia, opting to stick with the Mountaineers after former head coach Bob Huggins was replaced on an interim basis by Josh Eilert, despite Kriisa’s original commitment to WVU coming while Huggins was head coach.
Kriisa was suspended for his first nine games as a Mountaineer due to accepting improper benefits during his days as a Wildcat. He went on to start each of WVU’s remaining 23 games upon his return and averaged 11 points and a team-best 4.7 assists. Kriisa’s 61 three-pointers were a team-high and comprised all but 20 of his field goals as he shot better than 42 percent from long range.
Throughout an up and down three months as a Mountaineer, Kriisa was often plagued by turnovers and led West Virginia in that category with 67, including multiple turnovers in all but two games.
Over his final two seasons at Arizona, Kriisa started 65 of the 68 games he appeared in and averaged 9.7 and then 9.9 points to go with 4.7 and 5.1 assists, respectively. In the process, he came the first player in 21 years to lead the Pac-12 in assists in back-to-back seasons.
West Virginia introduced Darian DeVries as head coach last Thursday and has since added DeVries’ son, Tucker DeVries, to the roster. DeVries was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year each of his last two seasons playing for his dad at Drake.
Earlier this offseason, guard Seth Wilson also entered the portal. Wilson averaged 3.5 points this past season as a junior, which marked his third year with the Mountaineers.