Top European recruit Kerr Kriisa commits to Arizona

Estonian guard Kerr Kriisa has committed to play at Arizona next season, he told ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

The 19-year-old is regarded as the top college recruit out of Europe, according to Givony.

"What stood out to me about Arizona was the coaching staff and my belief that this place is best for my development," he said.

Kriisa played this past season with Zalgiris in Lithuania but was on an amateur contract. He mostly played for Zalgiris' second-division team but earned a promotion to their senior side due to a host of first-team injuries. He also made one EuroLeague appearance in October.

In 2019, he was named the MVP of the Adidas Next Generational Tournament after helping lead Zaligiris' Under-18 side to the trophy. He averaged 19 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and a steal in the competition.

In the 2019-20 season of the Lithuanian NKL, the country's second-tier basketball league, Kriisa averaged 14.8 points and six assists and shot 39% from deep.

He sees the Wildcats as an opportunity to evolve his game.

"Year after year, I started to follow college basketball more closely and realized I could be effective there also," he told Givony. "It's a completely different style of basketball, but I believe it can be good for me to challenge myself."