Content Warning: This article contains an image that may be disturbing to some readers.
Last Thursday, Arizona point guard Kerr Kriisa suffered a sprained ankle in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament, leading many to wonder what his status will be for the upcoming NCAA tournament.
The Wildcats sophomore showed just how serious the injury appeared early on Monday morning by sharing a gruesome picture of his ankle on Twitter.
“Not easy but doing everything I can to get back on the court with my brothers!” Kriisa wrote. “Its March. Time to go!!
Kriisa sustained the injury with just 32 seconds left in Arizona’s 84–80 victory over Stanford in the Pac-12 quarterfinals. He limped off the floor without putting weight on his right leg and was later seen with a boot on his foot.
Despite how serious the injury seemed at the time, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd expressed optimism that Kriisa would be able to return sometime during the NCAA tournament.
“I don’t think the severity of it is ... I think him playing next week is a real, a real possibility” Lloyd said after Arizona beat Colorado 82–72 in the semifinals of the Pac-12 tournament last Friday. “We got a great training staff. We’re just gonna take it day by day. All the major stuff checked out okay, and now it’s just a matter of attacking it.”
Kriisa is crucial piece of Arizona’s hopes for a title. The sophomore point guard has averaged 10.1 points and 4.9 assists in 30.0 minutes per game this season and leads the Wildcats in three-pointers (78), while shooting 35.8% from beyond the arc.
Arizona earned the No. 1 seed in South region of the NCAA tournament bracket, setting up a first-round matchup with the winner of the First Four game between No. 16 Wright State and No. 16 Bryant. The Wildcats are scheduled to play their opening game on Friday evening.
