Former Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa has been suspended for nine games after admitting he took impermissible benefits while enrolled at Arizona, his new school, West Virginia, said in a release Tuesday.
A senior from Estonia, Kriisa played three seasons for the Wildcats before transferring to West Virginia after last season. West Virginia said it learned of a potential eligibility concern about Kriisa in August, though it did not say when the issue occurred nor whether it involved boosters or staff at either Arizona or West Virginia.
Kriisa was recruited by former UA coach Sean Miller and played the 2020-21 season under him and, after Miller was fired in April 2021, initially put his name in the transfer portal but then returned to play the past two seasons under Tommy Lloyd.
After arriving from Estonia in the fall of 2020, Kriisa was handed a 17-game suspension by the NCAA because of a pro contract he had signed in Estonia. While sitting out, heΒ returned briefly in November 2020 to play a Eurobasket qualifying game for his country.
The NCAA began allowing athletes to receive compensation from outside interests under name, image and likeness rules in July 2021, though schools still face restrictions in what they can offer athletes.
Arizona did not issue an immediate comment, while West Virginia posted a one-paragraph statement saying that Kriisa will continue to work out with his teammates during his suspension.
"West Virginia worked cooperatively with the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Staff to reach an appropriate resolution," West Virginia's statement said. "He accepts responsibility for his actions at Arizona and looks forward to joining his Mountaineer teammates on the floor."
