Games against Luka Doncic should make Wildcats’ Pelle Larsson, Kerr Kriisa better this season

In the months ahead, UCLA’s Tyger Campbell, USC’s Boogie Ellis or Oregon’s Will Richardson will come barreling downcourt, threatening to engineer a big run or a game-winning shot. And Arizona’s Pelle Larsson and Kerr Kriisa will draw strength by looking back at the summer of 2022.

That’s when they saw even worse. Because Luka Doncic was heading their way.

Larsson, in only his second game with the Swedish national team, drew a major share of the defensive assignment against the NBA All-Star in July’s FIBA World Cup qualifying game. 

“I was really excited,” Larsson said. “It was such a blessing and big opportunity. He didn’t have to play with national team, but I’m glad he did. It was definitely a challenge.”

Larsson put up seven points and four rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench for Sweden, while Doncic led Slovenia to an 84-81 win with 31 points and 10 rebounds.

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“He’s not the fastest, but I just think how he uses his body to create advantages is pretty interesting,” Larsson said.

Kriisa had a slightly different experience against Doncic. While he didn’t guard Doncic regularly in Slovenia’s 104-83 win over Estonia in a World Cup qualifying game on Aug. 25, Kriisa characteristically made his presence known.

“Estonia was leading late in the first quarter, 23-18, until Kerr Kriisa started talking trash to Doncic,” Basketball News reported. “Soon after, Doncic led Slovenia on a 17-0 run, giving them a 35-23 lead.”

According to Basketnews.com, Kriisa waved his finger at Doncic when he was arguing a foul call against him, effectively telling Doncic not to argue the call, and noted afterward that “it was pretty easy to get into his head.”

Looking back at the game, Kriisa offered nothing but respect. Kriisa collected his 14 points while hitting 4 of 11 3-pointers, dishing five assists to four turnovers, while Doncic finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

“He’s very confident, but I guess if you’re one of the best in the world, you have to have the confidence and he showed right away why he is one of the best,” Kriisa said at UA’s media day earlier this month. “Luckily, I didn’t guard him too much. It was my wings’ job to guard him, but I mean, he’s a great player. There’s no surprise about that.”

Larsson not only had to guard Doncic when he was in the game but also was asked to take a potential game-winning shot. 

Slovenia was leading 82-81 when Doncic threw an errant pass that was intercepted by Sweden’s Melwin Pantzar with 10 seconds left, and the ball was kicked out to Larsson on the right wing.

Larsson’s shot was short, however, and Sweden was forced to foul. Slovenia’s Goran Dragic then hit two free throws for the final score.

Still, Sweden coach Mikko Riipinin and Dragic alike both offered Larsson support afterward. Riipinin said of Larsson that “taking that shot with no hesitation is very important for us in our future and we will live and die with that shot.” Dragic, the former Phoenix Suns standout, went out of his way to compliment Larsson.

“I like that young kid, No. 9,” Dragic said, referring to Larsson. “I told him ‘I like how you play. Keep your head up.'”

Larsson appreciated the words.

“It’s fun to see a mutual respect,” Larsson said. “In basketball, that’s a shot that’s going to happen a lot of times in my career and I’m very comfortable taking it. And if you’re comfortable taking it, you just gotta live with the results. I’m glad coach had the confidence to give it to me because that’s something I want to do.”

Kriisa received his biggest dose of adversity in Eurobasket games against Ukraine and Croatia, close losses that kept Estonia from advancing in Eurobasket competition. Kriisa shot 58.8% from 3-point range in his other three Eurobasket games but went 2 for 7 against Ukraine and 0 for 7 against Croatia.

Croatia won 73-70 and Ukraine pulled out a comeback 74-73 win.

“This one was tough, because if we would have won that we would have made it to Berlin and go to qualify to next round,” Kriisa said of the Ukraine game. “We kind of choked it but, I mean, also we were really the youngest team out there. Our average age was like 25-26.”

With the Wildcats, Kriisa and Larsson are now the veterans, both in age and in high-level basketball experience.

As a member of Estonia’s national team, Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa faced both Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo over the summer.

Courtesy of FIBA

UA associate head coach Jack Murphy, who is heavily involved in the Wildcats’ European recruiting efforts, says he’s seen the difference already in practices this fall.

“When I talk to Pelle, it’s just the confidence he got knowing he guarded one of the world’s best,” Murphy said. “At his age, he’s playing the senior national team against one of the best players in the world.”

Kriisa actually played against two of them. Estonia finished up Eurobasket play on Sept. 8 against Greece and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 25 points on 9-of-10 shooting to lead Greece to a 90-69 win. Kriisa had 12 points and four assists while hitting 4 of 7 3-pointers.

“Kerr comes from the perspective that both are amazing competitors,” Murphy said. “He said ‘The way Giannis can overpower you is so awe inspiring.’

“Who else gets to play against the best players in the world for senior national teams?”

Estonia wound up going 1-5 in Eurobasket games in September, after losing both to Slovenia and Finland in World Cup qualifying games in August, but Kriisa still found it valuable.

“We didn’t get a lot of wins but, for sure, we did get the experience playing against pros who play in the NBA and make money,” Kriisa said. “It was good for us.”

It’s not a surprise that UA coach Tommy Lloyd said pretty much the same thing, being a big advocate both of international basketball and having his guys play for their home countries in offseason FIBA events. Lloyd said the experience of Larsson and Kriisa should both help their games and that of the Wildcats as a team.

As long as they keep it in perspective, that is.

“Anytime you challenge yourself in a different setting and get out on the court with elite players, a lot of positive things can come from that,” Lloyd said. “I have a sense that they’re both more confident than they were last year at this time.

“But, if you go back to the Red-Blue Game, I don’t know if Kerr made a shot (he was 1 for 6). … I think it’s a great lesson — just because you’ve come back more confident and have more experience, doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.”