2024-04-14 04:35:36
St. John’s has many holes to fill on their 2024-25 men’s basketball roster. Finding a starting center is their most pressing need, but the Red Storm also needs experienced players, more guards, and three-point scorers.
Landing West Virginia grad transfer guard Kerr Kriisa could kill three birds with one stone.
Kriisa took an official visit to St. John’s over the weekend, posting a photo on his Instagram story on Saturday evening of himself donning a #77 jersey befitting of his eccentric personality.
Kriisa has a wealth of experience, having made 93 starts in 99 career games across stops at Arizona and West Virginia. After only playing eight games in his freshman year, he became the starting point guard for two Pac-12 championship-winning teams that combined for a record of 61-11 in his next two seasons. In 2022, he helped the Wildcats reach the NCAA tournament’s Sweet Sixteen.
In his three seasons at Arizona, the former four-star recruit from Estonia averaged 9.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.3 rebounds on 35.9% shooting from the field, 35.2% from three, and 79.3% from the free throw line.
Kriisa transferred to West Virginia last April, but it wasn’t a smooth season. He briefly re-entered the transfer portal after the dismissal of longtime Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins, then re-committed to the Mountaineers after Josh Eilert was named interim head coach. Last October, Kriisa was given a nine-game suspension after he admitted to accepting impermissible benefits during his time at Arizona.
When Kriisa did return to the Mountaineers, he averaged 11.0 points, 4.7 assists, 2.5 rebounds in 23 starts. His shooting numbers would noticeably improve, as he fired 42.9% from the field, 42.4% from three, and 77.5% from the free throw line.
If Kriisa commits, St. John’s would get a talented, high-volume three-point scorer with good—yet inconsistent—playmaking ability. While Kriisa averaged 4.7 assists per game in his collegiate career, he also averaged 2.4 turnovers per game.
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