LJ Cryer Named to Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List

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POSTED: October 29, 2024 -- 1:10 p.m. CT

Houston Cougars graduate guard LJ Cryer earned a place on the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List on Tuesday.

The prestigious award recognizes the best shooting guards in college basketball and is presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame.

This was the latest preseason honor for Cryer. He was an All-America Fourth-Team honoree by Blue Ribbon College Yearbook and joined graduate forward J'Wan Roberts on the Preseason All-Big 12 Conference First-Team.

Fan voting presented by Dell Technologies opens Friday, and Houston fans are encouraged to cast their ballots.

As the 2024-25 season continues, the Watch List will remain fluid. The List will narrow to 10 student-athletes in late January with the five finalists presented to West's family and the Hall of Fame's selection committees.

The winner of the 2025 Jerry West Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date with the other four members of the Naismith Starting Five.

A year ago, All-American guard Jamal Shead was honored as a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year while All-American guard Marcus Sasser received the Jerry West Award following the 2022-23 season.

Competing in his first season with the Cougars a year ago, Cryer led Houston and finished fifth in the Big 12 with 15.5 points per game. This was the second straight season in which he has named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.

Last season, Cryer was one of only three Cougars to start all 37 games in 2023-24 and led Houston and the league with 3.0 3-point field goals per game.

Cryer paced Houston with 13 20-point games and 27 double-digit performances, including a season-high 26 points against rv/– Texas inside Fertitta Center on Feb. 17.

For his impressive efforts, Cryer was named an All-America Honorable Mention by the United States Basketball Writers Association and was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team by the league and the Associated Press.

Cryer also received National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 8 Second-Team recognition and was named the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic Most Valuable Player.

Cryer was one of four student-athletes from the Big 12 Conference to be named to the Watch List, joining Caleb Love (Arizona), VJ Edgecombe (Baylor) and Zeke Mayo (Kansas).

2024-25 Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List Candidates

* - Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2024-25 season.

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