During something of a mock press conference on a podcast earlier this week, with a West Virginia hat in front of him on a table, former UA guard Kerr Kriisa was asked where he was heading next season.
He leaned over on a sofa toward UA wing Pelle Larsson.
"What do you think?" Kriisa said.
Larsson then pulled out an Arizona hat and put it on his own head.
"Pelle is a lock," Kriisa said.
As it turns out, relative to the uncertainty of college basketball rosters in April, Larsson's "commitment" to sticking with the Wildcats is another indication their roster turnover might actually be slightly less than average this spring.
Arizona already lost Kriisa and Adama Bal (undecided) to the transfer portal, while fifth-year seniors Cedric Henderson and Courtney Ramey are out of eligibility, and junior standout forward Azuolas Tubelis is expected to at least test the NBA Draft.
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But Arizona also has guard KJ Lewis lined up for next season, and is expected to mine the portal for additional backcourt help while also looking to the international market, especially if Tubelis leaves for good.
News that Creighton guard Ryan Nembhard has entered the transfer portal on Thursday naturally generated immediate speculation he would be heading to Arizona. UA coach Tommy Lloyd recruited Nembhard's brother, Andrew, to Gonzaga after he left Florida after two seasons with the Gators.
Andrew Nembhard even joined fellow Indiana Pacers players T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin in watching UA's Dec. 1 game at Utah, played the day before the Pacers faced the Utah Jazz.
The Big East's Freshman of the Year in 2021-22, Ryan Nembhard went on to average 12.1 points and 4.8 assists as a sophomore this season. Against Arizona in the Maui Invitational championship game on Nov. 23, Nembhard had 20 points and six assists for the Bluejays but Arizona pulled out an 81-79 win thanks in part to the 30 points and 13 rebounds Oumar Ballo collected.
While UA stumbled against Princeton in the NCAA Tournament's first round, Nembhard went on to lead Creighton to the Elite Eight. He had 20 points while getting to the line to hit 10 of 10 free throws against Baylor in the second round and had nine points with eight assists in a Sweet 16 win over the same Princeton team that held Kriisa to 1-for-7 shooting with two assists and four turnovers.
After the Baylor game, Creighton coach Greg McDermott said he initially "kind of dismissed" the idea of recruiting Nembhard out of high school, since Andrew was playing for Florida at that point.
"But I fell in love with him the first time I watched him play," McDermott said. "His expression never changes. He has the type of demeanor that you want the rest of the team to look to because he's never going to be rattled. He's never going to get too high when things are going well, and he's never going to get too low if he's struggling.
"To me that's one of the characteristics that has to be with a great point guard, and he has it. He doesn't need to score to impact the game. Tonight he scored."
Arizona won't have any committed players in the Hoop Summit game on Saturday, but UA target Carter Bryant was listed as an "eye-catcher" while playing with older players on a "Portland Generals" team that scrimmages against USA and World Team players in preparation for the event.
Bryant has listed Arizona and Louisville as his two finalists.
Always candid, sometimes joking and often self-deprecating, Kriisa said on "A Nameless Podcast" that he chose West Virginia because of ... defense.
Well, sort of.
"I just like to play defense," Kriisa said. "And (West Virginia coach) Bob Huggins is defensive-minded guy. That was number one. I know you're surprised. Pelle might be surprised too.
"OK, in all seriousness, though, I really did like them. Just the way they recruited me. I went to visit, had a great visit. (It was that) facilities were amazing, how they see me in the role there and I really trust them. I mean, Huggins is a legend."
Told that the choice seemed a little bizarre because of Huggins' emphasis on defense, Kriisa said "they have some narrative about me that I can't play defense but, I mean, I'm not that bad."
Larsson chuckled at that one.
"I'm just gonna be quiet this whole episode," Larsson said.
Larsson apparently wasn't so quiet last summer when facing Kriisa in offseason workouts. Kriisa said he was still out of shape after sprained ankle suffered in the Pac-12 Tournament and "wasn't pressuring and stuff" when the two faced off.
But Larsson still jumped on him.
"Pelle shouts at my face, `That's why we f-ing had to play DT (Dalen Terry) on all the f-ing point guards, because you can't f-ing play defense,' something like that," Kriisa said. "I was like, `whoa, relax, bro. It's f-ing June. Chill. But yeah, that was that was the story and I stick with that story."
Larsson said he was OK with the story, saying he did it to give Kriisa something to think about all summer. Kriisa said that worked, too.
"As you can tell, I still remember it which means it's still in my head," Kriisa said. "So it was good."
Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa exited the Wildcats' win over Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament with a right shoulder injury. Kriisa returned for the second half with tape on his shoulder. Video by Justin Spears/Arizona Daily Star
