Arizona PG Kerr Kriisa’s rainbow Crocs need a reunion

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — After Arizona point guard Kerr Kriisa sprained his ankle in the Pac-12 tournament opener, he traded his sneakers for the rainbow Crocs he often wears off the court.

After Arizona won the tournament, Kriisa celebrated by bear-hugging teammate Dalen Terry, then chucking his colorful shoes into the crowd.

“Take my Crocs!” he shouted gleefully on Saturday.

Wildcats super fan Kristen Repp caught the left Croc and then took it with her as the Arizona faithful celebrated in Las Vegas.

“Everybody wanted to see the Croc,” she recalled. “Everybody wanted to take picture with the Croc. And I knew it was taking on a life of its own.”

So then a question emerged: where was the other Croc?

“I wanna see right and left reunite, if only for a brief, fleeting moment,” said Arizona fan Tara Bourne, who turned to the internet to look for the missing shoe. “And I created ‘Kerr Kriisa’s Crocs’ on Twitter,” she said. “And I just started kind of reaching out to whomever I thought would be able to help.”

Using the power of social media, Bourne found a photo of the right Croc that same day, but couldn’t get a response from the Croc-holder.

“I’m so blown away by the speed this thing has taken on,” Bourne said. “And I never in a million years thought that this would happen.”

Since the quest began, left Croc has made an appearance at Arizona Football practice.

Athletic Director Dave Heeke and football coach Jedd Fisch have joined the social media campaign to reunite the Crocs.

In a video shared on Twitter, Kriisa himself calls for a reunion.

“We need to get the right baby Croc back,” he said. “The left one is really missing it.”

Repp, Bourne and fellow super fan Paul Volpe say a connection at Crocs led the company to send Kriisa a new pair.

But fans still want to see the two shoes back together again, even for a moment, if only to add to the fun of the Wildcats’ special season.

“We’re just having a good time, we’re having fun with it,” Bourne said. “And I know I needed a break from reality. And this has literally taken over my entire life at this point.”

Volpe says it could even take some pressure off the players as they begin the NCAA Tournament.

“Kinda go in there loose, relaxed, have some fun and play with a little bit of a chip on your shoulder, and I think this is a fun way to kinda go into the tournament,” he said.

While right Croc’s exact location is unknown, Volpe says the Croc-holder is now in touch and willing to make a reunion happen.

It’s unclear whether or not the other shoe will drop in San Diego, where the Wildcats play in the first round on Friday.