Kerr Kriisa’s Arizona debut could be delayed further by concussion, broken nose

Freshman guard Kerr Kriisa is eligible to make his Arizona Wildcats debut on Feb. 6, but it’s unclear if he will be healthy enough to suit up then.

Head coach Sean Miller said Wednesday that in addition to a broken nose, Kriisa also suffered a concussion last week and has not returned to practice since.

As Miller noted, concussions can be tricky to recover from. Last season, the Wildcats saw Stone Gettings miss an entire month with a similar injury. And while Miller said there is no timetable for Kriisa’s return, he hinted that it could be a while before he is back on the court.

“You know, these days you get hit in the head, you get a concussion,” Miller said. “I mean, it’s obviously very serious. We want to make sure that we are protecting our players in all that we do, but it’s a lengthy return. It’s kind of like a stress fracture. It’s not two days, five days, it’s weeks. Sometimes more than a month.”

The Wildcats were hoping Kriisa could boost their backcourt after completing his NCAA-issued suspension that reportedly stemmed from concerns over his amateur status. His skill set would be even more useful now that starting two-guard Jemarl Baker Jr. is out for the season with a broken wrist.

“He brings a lot of scoring. He’s a fierce defender. He wants to defend and he’s a playmaker also,” said senior guard Terrell Brown. “He scores it from many different levels. He can really shoot it too. From far, close, no matter where off the dribble. And he can handle the ball really well and he’s a fierce defender. He’s a gritty player.”