Kerr Kriisa makes his case for PG1; Mark Pope wants him to be “the best pace guy in the country”

On November 13, 2024By Littum

Another day, another impressive win for the Kentucky Wildcats inside Rupp Arena as they beat the Bucknell Bison 100-72.

It was an impressive performance all around the floor tonight, including an absurd shooting night for Koby Brea. Another big story from this one was Kerr Kriisa, who made a strong case to be Kentucky’s best point guard.

Kriisa finished the night with six points on 2/5 shooting from the field while also adding a game-high 12 assists vs. just two turnovers and four rebounds. So far this season, he has 17 assists against three turnovers in 35 minutes of play.

Making this one even more special for Kriisa was that his mother was present.

After the game, head coach Mark Pope said he wants Kriisa to be “the best paceman in the country.”

Pope on Kerr Kriisa: “I have to be careful. I think I knew exactly who I was getting. I’ve been recruiting Kerr for seven years or something. I’m telling you he’s a really special player. He’s a really special young man.”

The Pope says that Kriisa’s mother is in town.

— Jacob Polacheck (@PolacheckKSR) November 9, 2024

It was clear in this one that Kriisa is very effective at running the fast break for Kentucky’s offense and increasing the tempo, so it’s easy to see why Pope thinks the ester can make that kind of impact.

Kriisa was known for his energy and charisma on the floor during his time with Arizona and West Virginia. He is also known for his passing ability, which was on full display against the Bison. Sharing time at the point guard spot with Lamont Butler, it’s becoming pretty obvious that either player could actually be the PG1 on this team on any given night.

Honestly, they make a great 1-2 punch in the backcourt for Pope’s team. With Butler’s special defensive abilities paired with Kris’ amazing offensive skills, this Kentucky team looks like it could do something special this season.

All attention now turns to Duke on Tuesday night as this Kentucky team has its first real test of the season in Atlanta. In what will be a big stage for most of these players, at least when it comes to the lead guard spot, both guys know exactly what to do when the lights come on.

Has Kriisa done enough to earn the PG1 role? I think it’s fair to say that both players will be able to share the spotlight on any given night. Also, as you’ve probably heard many times, it’s not who starts that matters most. That’s the finisher, and Kerr makes a strong case to be the Cats’ closer at point guard, at least if they need more offense.

Kerr Kriisa on facing Duke: “The whole world is talking about Cooper Flagg. Excited to play against the number one draft pick. Congrats to him already.”

— Aaron Gershon (@agershon99) November 9, 2024

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