When it comes to Kerr Kriisa, whatβs good for the Arizona Wildcats is also good for Estonian basketball.
Estonia bowed out of EuroBasket 2022 competition Thursday, finishing at 1-4 in group play after a 90-69 loss to Greece in which Kriisa had 12 points and four assists while hitting 4 of 7 3-pointers
Estoniaβs fate was sealed after close losses to Ukraine (74-73) and Croatia (73-70) earlier in the competition. Kriisa struggled from 3-point range in both games, going 2 for 7 against Ukraine and 0 for 7 against Croatia β but shot 58.8% from 3 (10 of 17) in his other three games combined.
βIt was very close to being a great tournament for us,β Estonia coach Jukka Toijala said in the postgame press conference. βUnfortunately, our story is ending today.β
However, Toijala indicated better things could be ahead, thanks to a core of young talent that includes Kriisa. Over his five EuroBasket games, Kriisa averaged 10.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists with 3.0 turnovers while shooting 38.6% from the field.
βOur team is very inexperienced at this level,β Toijala said. βOver the next three-to-five year period, our players need to find clubs where they can play at the highest level in Europe. Maybe someday there will be NBA players in Estonia β that may take a little longer time β but I think thatβs one of the key things for not only our young players but all our players to find a stable situation.β
Entering his junior season with the Wildcats, Kerr is the only Estonian national team player that is also playing collegiately in the United States (incoming UA freshman Henri Veesaar of Estonia did not play for the countryβs national team this summer). Kriisaβs other Estonian teammates have all been playing for European clubs, except for forward Henri Drell of the G Leagueβs Windy City Bulls.
As the Wildcatsβ starting point guard last season, Kriisa averaged 9.7 points and 4.7 assists last season though he suffered a severe ankle sprain that limited his efforts in the postseason. As a freshman in 2020-21, Kriisa sat out most of the season because of NCAA concerns over a contract he had signed with a Lithuanian club, returning to Estonia in November 2020 briefly to play a EuroBasket qualifying game.
The EuroBasket experience β and a World Cup qualifying game last month in which he faced NBA all-star Luka Doncic β could benefit Kriisa entering a junior season in which he is expected to be one of the Wildcatsβ key players.
At the same time, a strong junior season could also bring Kriisa back to Estonia in the future more prepared for national team success.
βI think for this young group, it was a great experience,β Siim-Sander Vene, Estoniaβs 31-year-old forward, said in Thursdayβs postgame press conference. βThey understand now what they need to bring every day to get better and achieve at this level.
βRight now they need big minutes at a good level. They need to play big games for their home teams and things will come in time. I think there is potential. For sure.β
Greece, getting 25 points from NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo in only 19 minutes, finished at 5-0 in Group C play. Greece, Croatia (3-2), Ukraine (3-2) and Italy (3-2) will advance to the knockout round from Group C while Estonia and Great Britain (0-5) did not qualify.
In other EuroBasket games Thursday involving players with UA ties:
Former UA forward Lauri Markkanen had 22 points and three rebounds while going 7-for-11 from the field for Finland in an 88-67 win over Netherlands. Finland (3-2) qualified for knockout round play out of Group D.
Former UA guard Nico Mannion had two points with four assists while shooting 1-for-7 from the field for Italy in its 90-56 win over Great Britain.
Former UA center Dusan Ristic of Serbia was scoreless in a three-minute appearance in Serbiaβs 96-69 win over Poland. Serbia is 5-0 heading into the knockout round.
