Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa told ESPN he will enter the transfer portal, signaling the urgency new coach Tommy Lloyd will be facing.
The Estonian Kriisa only played eight games at Arizona last season due to NCAA eligiblity issues but is one of the most promising young point guards in the college game and will be in line for a breakout sophomore campaign wherever his next destination is.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 14, 2021
Initially ineligible because of arrangements that were made for him to play for a European club team, Kriisa played only the final month of last season. But he moved into the starting lineup in just his third game, having quickly become a favorite of then-UA coach Sean Miller for his toughness and 3-point shooting.
In eight games, Kriisa averaged 5.5 points while shooting 36.8% from 3-point range.
For what it's worth, freshman wing Bennedict Mathurin has taken UA photos off of his Instagram page. His bio lists him as "athlete." While he is wearing a UA uniform in his profile picture, the only highlights shown are from his NBA Academy days.
Mathurin was one of UA's best players much of last season, scoring 31 points at Oregon State on Jan. 14 and averaging 10.8 points on the season. He also shot 41.8% from 3-point range.
Arizona has already lost four players to the transfer portal: Guards Terrell Brown and Jemarl Baker, plus forwards Ira Lee and Daniel Batcho.
All three of UA's fall signees is also a question mark: According to their coaches, guard K.J.Simpson has been expecting his release while wing Shane Nowell is waiting to see who the new UA coach is and guard Shane Dezonie has not responded to messages. UA also secured a reported commitment from Eastern Washington forward Kim Aiken a day before Miller was fired.
As of now, this is the roster new coach Tommy Lloyd will be inheriting:
POSTS
C Christian Koloko Jr.
F Jordan Brown Jr.
F Azoulas Tubelis So.
WINGS
F Bennedict Mathurin So.
F Dalen Terry So.
F Tibet Gorener So.
F Tautvilas Tubelis So.
G Shane Nowell Fr.Β
G Shane Dezonie Fr.
GUARDS
G James Akinjo Sr.
G Kerr Kriisa So.
G K.J. Simpson Fr.Β
