Arizona releases statement following news of suspension for WVU transfer Kerr Kriisa

Current West Virginia guard Kerr Kriisa was just handed a nine-game suspension to begin the 2023-24 season after he admitted to accepting impermissible benefits while he was at Arizona, where he played the previous three seasons.

Now, the University of Arizona has released a statement on the situation. According to college hoops insider Jon Rothstein, here was that statement:

“Upon hearing of a potential NCAA issue with a former men’s basketball student-athlete after they left the University of Arizona, the athletics department worked collaboratively with the NCAA and West Virginia University in their review of the matter. The review confirmed there was no involvement from any Arizona Athletics staff members or coaches.

“As part of their evaluation, the NCAA determined that the University of Arizona’s compliance systems and education met or exceeded their standards and national best practices. The University of Arizona received no penalties or corrective actions as a result of the NCAA’s evaluation.”

For reference, here was the West Virginia statement from when the suspension was initially announced:

“In late August 2023, West Virginia University learned of a potential eligibility concern for men’s basketball transfer student-athlete Kerr Kriisa, who admitted to receiving impermissible benefits while enrolled at the University of Arizona. West Virginia worked cooperatively with the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Staff to reach an appropriate resolution.

“As a result of his actions, Kriisa will miss nine 2023-2024 regular season games as part of his eligibility reinstatement,” it continued. “Kriisa will be able to continue to practice and travel with the team during his suspension from competition. He accepts responsibility for his actions at Arizona and looks forward to joining his Mountaineer teammates on the floor.”

Kriisa was a massive transfer portal addition for the Mountaineers after he spent three years at Arizona, all as a starter. He was never an efficient scorer, but her certainly was electric, especially when he got hot from beyond the arc.

While still in the mold of a true point guard that averaged 5+ assists, Kriisa also jacked up more than six three-point tries per game en route to averaging just under 10 points each of his last two seasons. He’s a pure shooter that doubles as a floor general and was set to be one of WVU’s top producers on offense. He probably still will be, but that will have to wait.