Former Cincinnati guard Kerr Kriisa was arrested by FBI agents on Saturday, with Kentucky Sports Radio’s Jack Pilgrim reporting that he is expected to be extradited to West Virginia next week in connection with an alleged crime.
Pilgrim said Kriisa’s arrest is tied to a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that dates back to his time at West Virginia in 2023-24. A court hearing is scheduled for next week. Pilgrim also noted that Kriisa averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 assists in 19 games this past season at Cincinnati.
The 25-year-old from Estonia had been set to play in The Basketball Tournament this month, but that plan is now off. He also signed last week with his former club, Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits, for the upcoming season in Estonia.
Cincinnati added Kriisa out of the transfer portal last spring, and he opened the year as a major part of the rotation. Injuries, though, again interrupted his season, and he eventually slipped out of the lineup.
Kriisa spent six seasons in college basketball, including his stint at West Virginia, which now sits at the center of the legal situation. Before and after his college run, he also played in the Kaunas Žalgiris system in Lithuania and spent time in Germany with Brose Bamberg and Bayreuth Young Pikes.
Last year at 2025 Big 12 Media Days, Kriisa spoke about what he loves most about the college game, saying, "College basketball is the best thing in the world," Kriisa told the local media in a breakout session at 2025 Big 12 Media Days last year about his love for the sport. "You can't compare college basketball to your league to the NBA, because the community and everything about it is so special.
Everybody has their own mascot. Everybody takes pride.
And it's just the best. It really is like it makes me, like, smiley; it's a super cool thing."
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