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University of Houston Athletics
LJ Cryer Earns Place on Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List
10/24/2023 10:11:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Senior guard is one of 20 candidates to be recognized nationally
HOUSTON – Preparing for his first season with the Cougars, University of Houston senior guard LJ Cryer was recognized as one of 20 candidates nationally for the Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting on Friday. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2024 Jerry West Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just five.
In March, the five finalists will be presented to West and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, where a winner will be selected.
The winner of the 2024 Jerry West Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward), Karl Malone (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center), in addition to the Women's Starting Five.
Earlier this week, Houston teammate and senior point guard Jamal Shead was named to the Bob Cousy Award Preseason Watch List. That honor is presented to the nation's top point guard.
In 2022-23, Consensus First-Team All-American guard Marcus Sasser received the Jerry West Award, becoming the first Cougar in program history to receive that honor.
ABOUT LJ CRYER
Cryer is in his first season at Houston in 2023-24 after transferring from Baylor during the summer.
A three-year letterman during an award-winning career, Cryer earned 2022-23 All-Big 12 and USBWA All-District VII Team recognition after averaging 15.0 points per game while hitting 45.3 percent (163-of-360) from the field, including 41.5 percent (80-of-193) from behind the arc.
The Katy, Texas, native set Baylor's NCAA Tournament scoring record with 30 points against rv/#22 Creighton and posted the program's single-season free throw percentage record at 89.4 percent (59-of-66).
As a freshman, Cryer competed in 20 games while helping lead the Bears to the Big 12 title and the NCAA national championship.
Cryer was an award-winning star at Morton Ranch High School, where he finished his career with 3,488 points, the fifth-highest total in Texas public school history. He was named to the TABC Class 6A All-State Team and was tabbed 2020 All-Greater Houston Basketball Player of the Year by the Houston Chronicle.
2023-24 JERRY WEST AWARD CANDIDATES
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference.
Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win as we begin Big 12 competition. Click here to rise and be counted.
JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.
For more information or to sign up, fans may visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting on Friday. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2024 Jerry West Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just five.In March, the five finalists will be presented to West and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, where a winner will be selected.
The winner of the 2024 Jerry West Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward), Karl Malone (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center), in addition to the Women's Starting Five.
Earlier this week, Houston teammate and senior point guard Jamal Shead was named to the Bob Cousy Award Preseason Watch List. That honor is presented to the nation's top point guard.
In 2022-23, Consensus First-Team All-American guard Marcus Sasser received the Jerry West Award, becoming the first Cougar in program history to receive that honor.
ABOUT LJ CRYER
Cryer is in his first season at Houston in 2023-24 after transferring from Baylor during the summer.
A three-year letterman during an award-winning career, Cryer earned 2022-23 All-Big 12 and USBWA All-District VII Team recognition after averaging 15.0 points per game while hitting 45.3 percent (163-of-360) from the field, including 41.5 percent (80-of-193) from behind the arc.
The Katy, Texas, native set Baylor's NCAA Tournament scoring record with 30 points against rv/#22 Creighton and posted the program's single-season free throw percentage record at 89.4 percent (59-of-66).
As a freshman, Cryer competed in 20 games while helping lead the Bears to the Big 12 title and the NCAA national championship.
Cryer was an award-winning star at Morton Ranch High School, where he finished his career with 3,488 points, the fifth-highest total in Texas public school history. He was named to the TABC Class 6A All-State Team and was tabbed 2020 All-Greater Houston Basketball Player of the Year by the Houston Chronicle.
2023-24 JERRY WEST AWARD CANDIDATES
| Name | School |
| LJ Cryer | Houston |
| Caleb Love | Arizona |
| Tramon Mark | Arkansas |
| Ja'Kobe Walter | Baylor |
| Trey Alexander | Creighton |
| Jeremy Roach | Duke |
| Johnell Davis | FAU |
| Riley Kugel | Florida |
| Terrence Shannon Jr. | Illinois |
| Kevin McCullar Jr. | Kansas |
| Antonio Reeves | Kentucky |
| Kam Jones | Marquette |
| Tyson Walker | Michigan State |
| Fletcher Loyer | Purdue |
| Aidan Mahaney | St. Mary's (Calif.) |
| Jordan Dingle | St. John's |
| Santiago Vescovi | Tennessee |
| Stephon Castle | UConn |
| Boogie Ellis | USC |
| Justin Moore | Villanova |
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference.
Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win as we begin Big 12 competition. Click here to rise and be counted.
JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.
For more information or to sign up, fans may visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
– UHCougars.com –
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