Big 12 Basketball: Each team’s best acquisition out of 2023 transfer portal

L.J. Cryer – 6’1 Guard – Houston Cougars

L.J. Cryer is another high-profile name that surprised the college basketball landscape this past May. After testing the NBA Draft waters, he decided to return to the Big 12 but instead joins the Houston Cougars rotation looking to lead them to a title in the NCAA Tournament.

He won a national title as a member of the Baylor Bears as a freshman in 2020-21 but a lot has changed for Cryer since then. Cryer went from appearing in just 20 games in 2020-21 to starting in all 31 appearances in 2022-23 and emerged as one of the top shooters in the conference.

Cryer averaged 15.0 ppg, 2.1 apg and 2.1 rpg on 41.5 percent from deep, 45.3 percent from the field and 2.6 made shots from 3-point range this past season with the Baylor Bears. He dished out a career-high 64 assists while leading the conference in 3-point field goal percentage.

His offensive rating of 119.4 ranked fourth-best in the Big 12 while he was responsible for 406 points, 15th-best in the conference, in 2022-23. After finishing as a third-team All-Big 12 selection in his final year with Baylor, Cryer has a lot more to prove with his adaptability on both ends of the floor in the backcourt.

He closed out his career in a Bears uniform on a high note in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. He poured in a career-high 30 points on 13-of-22 shooting from the floor and 4-of-11 from deep along with two rebounds and an assist though it came in a loss against Creighton back on March 19 in the second round.

With experience in the Big 12 and a pedigree for defense already, Cryer brings an intriguing blend of skills to the Houston backcourt with his ability to adjust on both ends of the floor. He’s a solid off-ball option for the Cougars to look forward to having this upcoming season. The addition of Cryer and former Temple standout Damian Dunn should give Houston a huge boost on the shooting front in 2023-24.