Kentucky guard Kerr Kriisa enters transfer portal

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NCAA Basketball: Battle in Seattle-Kentucky at Gonzaga — Dec 7, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Kerr Kriisa (77) reacts during the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Kentucky men’s basketball fifth-year guard Kerr Kriisa entered his name into the transfer portal Monday morning.

Kriisa appeared in nine games for the Wildcats in 2024-25 before suffering a season-ending injury against Gonzaga on Dec. 7. The 6-foot-3 point guard averaged 4.4 points and 3.8 assists in 17.4 minutes per outing off the bench. Kriisa shot 27.9 percent from the floor and 26.3 percent from deep in his limited playing time.

“To Coach Pope and the UK coaching staff — it has been an absolute dream to play for the University of Kentucky. Thank you for your continued support,” Kriisa wrote on social media. “I will always cherish my time in the Blue Grass State, and I wish Kentucky Basketball all the best in the future.”

Despite being a five-year college player, the native of Estonia is expected to receive a medical redshirt waiver that will allow him to play a sixth and final season of college basketball.

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THANK YOU BBN! pic.twitter.com/Mmxup06WA2
— Kerr (@KerrKriisa) March 31, 2025

Kriisa began his college career at Arizona, spending his first three seasons (2020-23) with the Wildcats. During his final run at Arizona, he started 34 of 35 games while averaging 9.9 points and a Pac-12-leading 5.1 assists per outing. He then transferred to West Virginia for the 2023-24 season where he averaged career-highs in points (11 PPG) and three-point shooting (42.4 percent).

Mark Pope quickly went after Kriisa once the latter entered the portal for a third time last offseason. Pope even joked he had recruited the flashy lead guard multiple times prior to taking over at Kentucky, but only now was he finally able to land him. Kriisa struggled to shoot the ball early on in his UK tenure but did produce a 12-assist game against Bucknell.

In the December overtime win against Gonzaga — the only game he started — Kriisa suffered a foot fracture in the middle of the second half. Despite the injury, he still hustled back on defense to try and prevent a layup. There was optimism throughout the season he might end up returning to the roster fully healthy, but that ultimately did not happen.

Now, he’ll look for a fourth school.