It's become a recent summer tradition as things start to wind down on the recruiting trail for Kentucky Athletics across the board (right about... now) for the Big Blue Nation to turn their passions in full faithful force to the La Familia alumni team. What's more fun than watching a bunch of former Cats come together to compete for a bag? Well, nothing, at least until the fall rolls around.
In the most recent news on that front, The Basketball Tournament announced that Kerr Kriisa is coming back to Lexington to join La Familia as the latest addition to a fast-growing squad. The environment at Historic Memorial Coliseum is about to get a whole lot rowdier.
Kriisa will forever be tied to Mark Pope's first year at the helm for Kentucky; just two years ago, he led the secondary rotation for the Wildcats before fracturing his foot against Gonzaga prior to conference play.
His lone season in Lexington may have ended there, but Kriisa gained infinite respect from the BBN for getting back on defense in spite of his injury. It helps that he was an outright troublemaker and capsule of energy bursting at the seams at all times, too. It's hard not to love guys like that.
Kerr Kriisa is COMING BACK TO LEXINGTON🔵‼️
— TBT (@thetournament) June 30, 2026
The sharp shooter returns to rep Kentucky with La Familia this summer!
Kerr will look to help the Kentucky Alumni take down the Louisville Alumni in a Best of Three beginning in Lexington on July 18!
TICKETS: https://t.co/l7V53Bb5hN pic.twitter.com/oN96DyGrrp
Setting a Precedent
In joining La Familia, Kriisa also sets a new precedent, at least as far as Kentucky's alumni team goes. Having transferred to Cincinnati for his final year of collegiate play, Kriisa is just one year removed from his run in the NCAA.
On a team otherwise comprised of players years, if not a decade removed from their time in college (see Willie Cauley-Stein), that sort of immediate transition is basically unheard of. But if the NBA isn't in the picture, what do you have to lose?
What's more, Kriisa's attitude comes into the picture at the perfect time, as this year's slate for La Familia will see the blue and white alumni face a bunch of former Louisville Cardinals in a three-game series that begins in Lexington.
New Kriisa on the Block
Who better to rile up your rivals than the guy who was tracing his mustache against a Cooper Flagg-led Duke team early in Pope's first season? His overall averages at Kentucky could've been taken or left, ultimately, but Kriisa's veteran leader status and general ability to make opponents angry was always invaluable in Lexington.
Cats fand should mightily enjoy him bringing the same qualities to La Familia, even if he's the new kid on the block this time around. Above all else, I can promise that Kriisa won't take kindly to anyone on The Ville spitting at him.
It'd probably be wise for the guys in red and black not to try that one again this year.
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