In what certainly feels like the latest unexpected announcement, Baylor guard LJ Cryer has announced that he will declare for the NBA Draft and enter the Transfer Portal. In the current day and age of the Transfer Portal, we’re seeing an increasing number of players from all over the nation put their names up for transfer, and Cryer instantly becomes one of the top names in the field if he does return to NCAA basketball.
A 6’1 guard and former Top 100 recruit, Cryer was born in New Orleans but grew up just outside of Houston, and was one of the top high school basketball players in the city back in 2020. He was heavily recruited but chose to play for Scott Drew and Baylor, picking the Bears over offers from Houston, LSU, Purdue, and a number of other schools. Cryer has been with the Bears for the last three seasons and has had quite an impact on this program.
As a freshman, Cryer had very limited minutes on a stacked Baylor lineup but did briefly see time en route to the Bears winning the national championship. He had a 17-point outing in his collegiate debut and would become a much more important piece as a sophomore. In that second season, he averaged 13.5 points per game and played significant minutes off the bench for the Bears, though his season was cut short in early February due to a foot injury.
This past season was Cryer’s best season to date, averaging 15.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in his first year as a full-time starter. He was part of one of the nation’s best backcourts and shot a phenomenal 41.5% from long range, which was actually less impressive than the mind-boggling 47% he had made the season before. Cryer saved his best performance for the end of the season, scoring a career-high 30 points in Baylor’s season-ending loss to Creighton in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Now, Cryer enters the Transfer Portal having spent his first three seasons with the Bears, and becomes one of the most attractive backcourt pieces out there. He played a vital role in Baylor’s success this past season and is one of the best scorers and long-range shooters available on the Transfer Portal. Cryer will have no shortage of suitors in the days and weeks to come, though we’ll be presenting a number of schools that will be interested in his services.