'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The University of Houston Cougars upset Duke (70-67) on Saturday, and LJ Cryer led the team in scoring in a comeback for the ages.
En route their epic giant killing in the Final Four, Cryer became the first player in NCAA history to make the Final Four of March Madness for two separate teams.
Trending
A highlight of his special performance was his duel against Cooper Flagg who came off worse for wear against the 23-year-old guard. Flagg finished with 27 points, only one more than LJ Cryer but was badgered on numerous possessions by the tenacious guard who made himself a March Madness hero and improved his stock before the upcoming NBA Draft.
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
LJ Cryer NBA Draft Profile and Projection
The 6-foot-1, 160 lbs point guard is a terrific spot up shooter and agile scoring guard who is capable of being a heat check scorer and a capable bench piece in the current NBA. Despite his relative lack of size, Cryer makes it difficult for players much bigger than him on the defensive end of the floor with his athleticism and motor.
Cryer's NBA Draft Profile is not without flaws, however as he is sometimes too focused on the offensive end of the floor. Cryer is also inadequate as a true point guard and undersized for a shooting guard. As things stand, Cryer projects as a pick who could go late in the second round.
3 NBA player comparisons for LJ Cryer
#1 Gradey Dick
Cryer has been compared to Gradey Dick, a the 6-foot-6 shooting guard drafted by the Toronto Raptors in 2023. Like Dick, Cryer excels as a spot-up shooter and can create offense on his own with his solid handles. Cryer’s 41.9% three-point shooting in the 2024-25 season aligns with Dick’s reputation as a perimeter threat, although Cryer is much smaller in stature physically.
#2 Malik Monk
LJ Cryer resembles the archetypal undersized scoring guard that Malik Monk represents in the NBA. The Sacramento Kings guard is prone to score explosions and has a well-cultivated reputation as a microwave scorer in the NBA from the two-guard spot. Although Monk is a couple of inches taller than Cryer, both of them weigh the same and profile similarly when it comes to their physical tools.
#3 Seth Curry
Cryer's highly efficient Free Throw shooting (91.6%) in college and IQ make profile him as a player who is capable of stretching the floor with his knock down shooting and instant offense. Steph Curry's brother Seth Curry has fashioned a highly respected NBA career for himself with his intangible attributes.
