Arizona Basketball: Breakdown of international players from 2020 class
By Ian Mumm
Arizona Basketball newcomer – Kerr Kriisa, Estonia – PG – 6’2,170 lbs
The top prospect among the developing ranks of Estonian players, Kriisa averaged 14.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 4.3 APG for the U18 national team at the FIBA European Championships last year. Averaging similar numbers for Zalgiris Kaunus II in Lithuania’s second division, he ranked in the top-10 in assists per game and recently split time with Prienu CBet in the nation’s top division before signing with Arizona. It’s this aspect of his game that could help him to see early playing time.
Kriisa excels playing through the pick-and-roll and is able to do most of his damage facilitating from the middle of the defense. He adds change of pace to his dribble to better position his attack and looks off defenders to finish crafty passes in traffic. He will need to add more consistency to his perimeter game, given the volume of his outside shot selection, as well as some weight to become a more effective player for the Wildcats.
It’s currently uncertain how much court time Kriisa will see in his freshman season, as the backcourt is the most crowded area on next year’s team. Jemarl Baker Jr, Brandon Williams, Terrell Brown Jr and James Akinjo are all likely to see plenty of action, although the latter could miss the first half of the season as a result of NCAA eligibility rules. Kriisa certainly has the talent and experience to contribute on this team, but it may behoove Sean Miller’s depth moving forward to let him develop next season before letting him loose in 2021.