Kerr Kriisa announces departure, will enter NCAA transfer portal

Mar 22, 2023 - 5:41 PM

The most polarizing Arizona men’s basketball player in recent memory is reportedly moving on.

Point guard Kerr Kriisa is entering the NCAA transfer portal after three seasons with the Wildcats, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

Kriisa then confirmed his departure on Instagram:

The 6-foot-3 junior is coming off a 2022-23 season in which he led the Pac-12 in assists for the second year in a row, the first player to do that since USC’s Brandon Granville in 1999-2001. Kriisa also became only the second UA player with 80 or more 3-pointers in consecutive seasons, joining Damon Stoudamire.

But at the same time, while Kriisa averaged 9.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists he shot just 37.2 percent from the field, making 36.6 percent of his 3s. In his last four games, comprising the Pac-12 and NCAA tourneys, he averaged 3.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists and was 4 of 20 from 3, though he was also dealing with a shoulder injury sustained early in the Pac-12 quarterfinals.

For his career, Kriisa averaged 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists. His 177 made 3s are 10th-most in school history, and he’s one of three Wildcats with multiple triple-doubles.

Kriisa was both loved and hated by the UA fanbase, who seemed torn on whether he should focus on being the point guard or being a 3-point shooter instead of trying to do both. Coach Tommy Lloyd stuck with him the past two seasons after inheriting him from Sean Miller—who might be inclined to bring him to Xavier—despite constant calls for change.

With Kriisa moving on, the door is wide open for the still-17-year-old Kylan Boswell to take over the point. Boswell averaged 4.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists as a true freshman, shooting 45 percent for the season but 65.9 percent over Arizona’s final 10 games during which he made 12 of 22 3s and had a 2.33-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Arizona now must replace all three starting guards, with Cedric Henderson Jr. and Courtney Ramey both out of eligibility.