Kerr Kriisa is back in the weight room days after surgery

Kriisa is starting to work his way back from injury.

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 / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Kentucky is coming off a win over Louisville when they got their starting point guard Lamont Butler back after missing the Gonzaga and Colgate games with an injury, and now another Wildcat is continuing to ramp up his process of returning to the court. Kerr Kriisa, who suffered an ankle injury against Gonzaga that required surgery, is still a few weeks out from making a return.

Mark Pope spoke with media on Wednesday ahead of their matchup with Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday, and he says Kriisa was in the weight room for the first time since his surgery, and the ramp-up process has begun.

"Kerr (Kriisa) had his first day in the weight room doing conditioning and strength training yesterday, and our goal is to make that so unpleasant that he's like, 'I'm getting back on the court soon.' We'll see, I don't know. This is a little bit of a tricky surgery and it could respond fast, or it could respond slow. So, we're gonna do everything in our power to help. He's gonna do everything in his power to get himself ready as soon as he can, and hopefully that comes sooner rather than later. There's some things that are gonna be out of his control."

- Pope's injury update on Kriisa.

Kriisa provides such a spark off the bench for the Wildcats, and his presence provides a big boost for everyone on the team. He's doing a great job keeping everyone's spirits high on the bench right now, but they need him to provide that spark on the floor. Pope called him a catalyst, and that is exactly thw impact he has on this team.

Still a few weeks out from his expected return, but it's good to see him making progress in the weight room.