Kentucky will be without Kerr Kriisa indefinitely, the fifth-year guard breaking his foot during the team’s win over Gonzaga in Seattle. Mark Pope said he was ‘expecting him back sooner rather than later,’ but for the time being, he’s stuck giving pregame speeches and being the Wildcats’ hype man on the bench.
No matter the context or situation, Kriisa is going to give it everything he’s got, just as he showed getting back on defense to contest Ryan Nembhard’s layup at the rim on a broken wheel. That’s where his teammates are going to miss him most in the coming weeks — at least on the court playing alongside them.
“It was emotional. It just shows how much heart he has to get back on defense and contest that shot,” Ansley Almonor said. “It shows the culture we’re trying to have on this team and him being such a big part of that. You’re not going to see that anywhere else in the country.
“Somebody breaking their foot and sprinting back on defense to contest a layup? That’s just not something you see. We appreciate him and we’re gonna miss him a lot.”
Kriisa showed heart in that moment, but also once the adrenaline settled and the pain ramped up. After getting checked out in the locker room, he returned to the bench and rooted his teammates on and shared feedback on his real-time thoughts on the game through the final buzzer. He transitioned quickly from player to coach and cheerleader.
That made a difference in the team’s comeback effort.
“Kerr — everybody knows Kerr and how he acts. Even though he got a little hurt foot or whatever, he still gave us energy,” Brandon Garrison added. “He never got in his head, came back to the bench cheering us on, telling us what we need to fix on the court.”
Kriisa started the day with an all-time pregame speech, as Coach Pope tells it.
“The words that he uttered will never be repeated again, but it was effective and great. It was vintage Kerr Kriisa,” he said.
His teammates agree.
“Kerr is a very passionate player. That game meant a lot to him just as it meant a lot to us. He gave us a great speech, he motivated us,” Almonor said. “Like Coach said, there were things that were said that probably shouldn’t be said again [laughs]. It was a great speech, for sure. We’re going to miss him a lot. He brings a lot of energy, the pace he brings and the vibe he brings on the court is just great. We’re definitely going to miss him and we’re wishing him a speedy recovery, for sure.”
Kriisa’s individual impact will be limited to those off-court moments for the time being, but that doesn’t mean he won’t help the team’s production on the court. Whether he’s playing or not, his presence is always going to be felt around the facilities and on the bench.
That’s going to translate to victories.
“He definitely will be (helping),” Almonor continued. “He’s a great teammate, a great leader and a great guy. He is definitely going to bring his energy and charisma to the sideline. It’s going to help us win games, for sure.”