West Virginia basketball was hit with another blow this week when Kerr Kriisa was suspended nine games for receiving impermissible benefits while at Arizona.
West Virginia interim head coach Josh Eilert was able to speak on the Kriisa’s suspension Thursday, and exactly where the team can go from this point.
“I’m not worried about what Arizona does or says,” said Eilert. “I know there’s student privacy laws in terms of Kerr’s situation. My message is ‘we’re not a victim.’ We take responsibility for whatever that is we need to take responsibility for and we move forward.”
Although Kriisa is not allowed to play, he is still allowed to practice and travel with the team.
“Kerr is going to help us in practice everyday. It’s not like he can’t travel with us or practice with us or be around the team. I look to Kerr for leadership. Own your mistakes and find a way to help us win. He’s one of our captains and he can do an incredible amount of good for our program in the meantime by mentoring Jeremiah Bembry, by giving Kobe Johnson pointers. We’re excited to move forward regardless of the situation. We’re not hanging our heads.”
As for when the violation occurred, Eilert said it “didn’t occur on our watch.”
“It’s something that didn’t happen on our watch, but it’s something that we’re dealing with on our end. I can tell you this. The violation didn’t occur on our watch. It’s the aftermath we’re dealing with.”
The Mountaineers open up the regular season on Monday against Missouri State with tip off set for 7:00 p.m.
