Kentucky point guard Kerr Kriisa's role for the Wildcats will be crucial

Mark Pope needs Kerr Kriisa to have a good season.

Mar 9, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Kerr Kriisa (3) reacts after a foul called on him during the first half in the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

One player who will make or break the season for the Kentucky Wildcats is Kerr Kriisa, despite coming off the bench. Kriisa is a player that Coach Mark Pope has been recruiting for years, and he was finally able to get him to play in Lexington.

Kriisa spent many years in Arizona as the starting point guard; then last season played at West Virginia. Last year for the Mountaineers, Kriisa averaged 11 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 42.9% from the field and 42.4% from three.

This season, Kriisa will serve as the Wildcat's backup point guard, which will make his role very important. When Lamont Butler and the rest of the starting lineup come to take a breather, Kriisa and the rest of the second lineup will need to score the ball. It is still to be seen if Coach Pope will pull all of his starters for a hockey line change or how the rotation will work, but regardless, Kriisa will play a massive role.

He will need to facilitate when in the game finding an open shooter but also score the ball himself a good amount.

If Kriisa has a good season shooting from deep like he did last season, it will be huge for the Kentucky Wildcats. This means they will have a 40% three-point shooter coming off the bench to score when the starting lineup is resting. While it will be off the bench Kriisa will play a massive role for this Kentucky team.