NCAA Basketball: Top 15 pending decisions for 2022 NBA Draft

Mar 24, 2022; San Francisco, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) hugs Arkansas Razorbacks forward Jaylin Williams (10) after the game in the semifinals of the West regional of the men's college basketball NCAA Tournament at Chase Center. The Arkansas Razorbacks won 74-68. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

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NBA Draft NCAA Basketball Baylor Bears guard LJ Cryer Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports /

6. G LJ Cryer – Baylor Bears

2021-22 stats: 13.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.7 apg

At one point, the sophomore guard was leading the Bears in scoring, despite mainly coming off the bench and playing just 20 mpg. The 6’1 playmaker had three 20+ scoring games to start out the year and had a career-high 25 points in a road win over West Virginia.

When Cryer was healthy, Baylor was the No. 1 team in the country and had the lead over Kansas in the Big 12. But he played just a couple of games after February and missed out on the NCAA Tournament, which proved costly for the team.

Cryer showed that he can be a leading scorer and an efficient one at that, making 48% of his shots from the field and a whopping 47% from three-point range. A fully healthy version of the 6’1 guard could really have a breakout season as a starter after losing freshmen, Kendall Brown and Jeremy Sochan.

Assuming that James Akinjo isn’t coming back, Baylor will need a starting point guard. And even though he played off the ball, Cryer is capable of being the lead ball-handler on offense. Considering that he’s 6’1, that’s probably his best position to show off for NBA scouts. The Bears will be fine without him but if Cryer comes back, that could solidify them as a preseason top-5 team.

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