Sad News: About a minute ago Kentucky wildcats key player die in a Car Crash…
Sad News: About a minute ago Kentucky wildcats key player die in a Car Crash…
As Kerr Kriisa made his way down the “blue carpet” at Rupp Arena on Friday night prior to Big Blue Madness, there was no mistaking his home nation.
Kriisa’s outfit was essentially a walking advertisement for Estonia, the northern European country where he was born. He was decked out in an Estonia beanie and Olympic T-shirt, and he carried a small Estonian flag for good measure.
In case it wasn’t clear, Kriisa is immensely proud of the fact that he will soon become the first man from Estonia to play college basketball at Kentucky.
Mark Pope’s first UK basketball roster — which doesn’t feature a single scholarship player who has previously played for the Wildcats — includes two players born outside the United States: Kriisa and frontcourt player Amari Williams, who is from England.
Once Kriisa and Williams log their first official minutes for the No. 23-ranked Wildcats during the Nov. 4 season opener against Wright State, they will increase the number of all-time, international-born UK men’s basketball players to 22.
The majority of these international players at Kentucky came to Lexington while John Calipari led the program. During the 15-season Calipari era, 14 international players logged game time for the Wildcats.
Six international players were at UK prior to Calipari, with the first one being Canada’s Jamaal Magloire in 1996.
