An exit interview, of sorts, with ex-Wildcat Kerr Kriisa, whose personality left an indelible mark

“The haters got what they wanted,” said host Josh Khan.

Sitting on the couch with former teammate Pere Larsson to record “A Nameless Podcast” on Wednesday, Kryisa leaned back and laughed.

“I gave in,” Cryisa grinned. “I couldn’t take it anymore.”

It was a standard crisper. During his three years with the Wildcats, Estonia’s points guard accepted praise and criticism with his outspoken, quick-witted and sometimes cocky personality.

“If I had listened to everyone, I would probably have been in a mental hospital,” Cryisa said earlier this season after recording a triple-double in Utah. “I couldn’t have played basketball and that’s it.”

Kryisa didn’t just tell the truth, she also told her opponents what she was thinking. Among them were not only Pac-12 opponents, but also his NBA superstar Luka Doncic, who faced Criiza’s national team in last summer’s FIBA ​​World Cup Qualifier.

“Estonia was leading 23-18 late in the first quarter, until Kirklyisa started talking nonsense to Doncic,” Basketball News reported. “Shortly after, Doncic put Slovenia in a 17-0 lead.”

yes. As an Arizona junior this season, Kryisa apparently did something similar. He elicited the comment from the normally soft-spoken Oregon center N’Faly Dante after the Ducks thrashed the Wildcats 87-68 on Jan. 14 in Eugene.

“He talks crap and calls your name and so on.”

After intercepting one of Chrisa’s passes early in that game, Dante regained it and dunked Chrisa so hard that Chrisa slipped on his back and went straight into the cushion at the base of the basket.

“Well, the guy in front of me, well, he pissed me off because…” Dante explained later.

“It felt good.

Kryisa grabbed the lightning rod early in her career. Lithuania’s UA forward Azuolas Tubelis found that out while playing against the Baltic brothers in the junior team’s national competition and Lithuanian development club his league.

“He always had this energy on the court, so it was really tough to play against him,” Tuberis said last fall. “His team on the court is always energetic and every time he plays he is happy.

As a college player, Kryisa began making his mark in the Wildcats’ road swing through Utah and Colorado in February 2021, but was sidelined for that season due to NCAA concerns about the pro contract he signed in Lithuania. Missed the first 17 games as a freshman.

As Kriesa played 19 minutes in his debut against Utah, then-UA coach Sean Miller said: Two days later, Kriisa made it even clearer. He jumped and charged in front of Colorado’s Veteran Point his guard, McKinley Wright, on haste.

“He’s got a little edge,” Colorado manager Tad Boyle noted last season. “It takes a little bit of courage and toughness to be his size and play at the level he’s playing.”

In Kriisa’s third college game, Miller added him to the starting lineup.

After Miller was fired in April 2021, Kleisa briefly entered the transfer portal, but Lloyd successfully rehired him and played for “the most European-American coach in the game.” He said he would regret it if he didn’t continue.

Lloyd frequently cites Chryissa for bringing the ‘swag’ to the Wildcats’ magical 33-4 season in 2021-22, with Chryisa leading the Pac-12 in assists per game (4.7). and fourth in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.15). ).

Along the way, Kryisa’s fun never ended. Despite battling an ankle sprain that kept him out of three games in the postseason last season, Cryisa returned to his NCAA Tournament game in his second round against TCU, earning him a spot after the Wildcats. left the court mocking TCU’s “knuckle up” hand signal. Won in overtime.

Naturally, at the McKale Center, he accepted everything. Creetha blew a kiss and extended his arm. On the other hand, he always wore his number 25 jersey with his first name on it. The number 25 jersey was already hanging on the wall of the McKale Center.

Then there was the headband. Cryisa, who wore a pink headband to raise breast cancer awareness during her workouts during the fall 2021 preseason, was encouraged to continue wearing the headband during last season’s games.

“Kerr has swag,” Lloyd said in November 2021. But if he doesn’t play with intelligence, if he doesn’t play with great effort, he can’t wear a headband. ”

Kriisa wore a headband as the Wildcats’ starting point guard in the 2021-22 season, but finds herself stuck with it this season.

He ditched the headband for the UA’s November 7 season opener after shooting poorly in the Red Blue Games and preseason exhibition, but it didn’t work. became his signature and was featured on NIL T-shirts sold under his name.

“I got really bad comments and bad messages,” Cryisa said. “Then I was like, ‘Oh damn, I’m still trying to live.’ So I guess I had to pull the headband back. ”

He actually made it into a cloak in the next game. Four days later against Southern, Criissa wore the headband for his second career triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.

It was the first triple-double for a UA player since Andre Iguodala had three in 2003-04, following his triple-double at Utah in 2021-22.

Kriisa was actually ruled out of the game with 3:02 remaining and UA were on their way to a comfortable 97-77 win, at which point Kriisa had only 21 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds. .

Kryisa “looked at me like a puppy,” Lloyd said, and the coach reinserted him.

“Not my style at all,” Lloyd said. “But I thought, ‘OK. Kerr Kryisa probably won’t be in this position to get nine rebounds in his career. So I was like, ‘I’ll give him a try. ”

Kriisa is the Pac-12 leader in assists per game (5.14) and sixth best in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.98) this season.

Cryisa has shot 36.6% from 3-point range this season, but has gone 4-of-20 from long range in his last four games while dealing with a shoulder separation he suffered against Stanford in the Pac-12 quarterfinals. rice field.

In her final appearance for UA, Kriisa was restricted despite playing 36 minutes when UA suffered a shock 59-55 first-round loss to 15th-seeded Princeton. He refused to make excuses for cuts to his shoulder or right hand (shot), but he went 1-for-7 from the field with 3 points, 2 assists and 4 turnovers, with little of his usual swag.

Six days later, Kriisa grabbed the podcasting microphone, ran a hand through her hair, tilted her head slightly forward, and basically explained that she felt her career at UA was on track.

“Honestly, I think it was a good start for me, and obviously for the program,” Kriisa said on the podcast. Looking around college basketball today, I don’t think there are many people who stay in the same place for three years, so I’m really happy to have been blessed with good circumstances and a wonderful coach.

“Inwardly, I am very calm. I am really happy with my decision. Of course, I am sad to leave Tucson, but that’s the way it is.”