West Virginia’s Kerr Kriisa suspended for accepting benefits at Arizona
Oct 31, 2023, 9:21 AM | Updated: Nov 1, 2023, 8:47 am
Kerr Kriisa #25 of the Arizona Wildcats gestures to the crowd in the first half of a quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Stanford Cardinal at T-Mobile Arena on March 09, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
West Virginia guard Kerr Kriisa will be suspended nine games during the 2023-24 regular season for receiving impermissible benefits while he was enrolled to play basketball with the Arizona Wildcats, the Mountaineers said in a statement released Tuesday.
“In late August 2023, West Virginia University learned of a potential eligibility concern for men’s basketball transfer student-athlete Kerr Kriisa, who admitted to receiving impermissible benefits while enrolled at the University of Arizona,” the statement read. “He accepts responsibility for his actions at Arizona and looks forward to joining his Mountaineer teammates on the floor.”
Kriisa will continue to practice and travel with the team, according to the release.
Kriisa played two-plus seasons with the Wildcats after being recruited to Tucson by former head coach Sean Miller.
RELATED STORIES
Over 76 games and 70 starts — all but eight of those games came the last two years under current coach Tommy Lloyd — Kriisa averaged 9.4 points and 4.7 assists per game.
He entered the transfer portal this offseason and committed to West Virginia to play for then-head coach Bob Huggins before Huggins left the school amid controversy.
Kriisa briefly entered the portal but ultimately decided to return to play for interim head coach Josh Eilert.
Arizona filled its backcourt with transfers Caleb Love of North Carolina and Jaden Bradley from Alabama, who join returnee Kylan Boswell.
