Texas Basketball Recruiting: 4-star PG LJ Cryer receives coach visit

For the second time since Feb. 18, four-star rising 2020 PG LJ Cryer received an in-home visit from head Texas basketball coach Shaka Smart.

The 2020 Texas basketball recruiting class is still yet to receive a single commitment, but the coaching staff is starting to dive deeper with the off-season upon us. Four-star Morton Ranch High School and Katy, TX, point guard LJ Cryer got a coaching visit on April 22 for the second time in as many months.

Head Texas basketball coach Shaka Smart needs to hit the recruiting trail hard in the coming months. It was pretty surprising that he was able to retain his position so easily in the first place given the outcries from the fan base. But, he’s trying to put it all back together on the recruiting trail, with his second visit to Cryer in the past three months. He also visited Cryer on Feb. 18.

To say that the past three seasons were a disappointment implies the very least of the troubles for this program.

For the second time in the past three years, the Texas basketball program missed out on a bid on Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament. This wasn’t the best news for the most recent big target for Smart and the Longhorns for either the 2019 of 2020 cycle.

One way for Smart and the Longhorns to fix this issue is bringing in as much talent on possible for the next full recruiting cycle. Texas basketball recruiting hasn’t been the issue for Smart. It’s actually one of his stronger suits. That success on the recruiting trail needs to translate more on the hardwood.

Thus far, the top tier signing classes that Smart managed in the Big 12 haven’t translated. He has certainly brought a lot of NBA talent to the Forty Acres, though. He finally needs to get that much sought after NCAA Tournament victory he’s been searching for going on five seasons now.

However, Cryer has to be high on the list for the 2020 Texas basketball recruiting class since he could fill what looks to be a big positional need for that cycle. Texas basketball could be pretty thin in the backcourt by the time the 2020-21 regular season arrives. But, we have a while to go before that season arrives.

Cryer ranks as the nation’s No. 66 2020 high school prospect and the No. 8 point guard. He’s also slotted as a top five ranked high school prospect out of the state of Texas. The 6-foot-1 and 180 pound point guard is also getting close to garnering his 20th offer.

A few of the more notable college hoops programs that offered Cryer so far include LSU Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies, Oklahoma State Cowboys, and Texas Tech Red Raiders. Other schools like the Houston Cougars, Baylor Bears, and Purdue Boilermakes look to be big players in his commitment decision too.

The 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions favors LSU over Purdue and Baylor to land the commitment of Cryer when it’s all said and done. This early on in his recruitment, though, you’d figure a program like Texas basketball would still be able to win over some of his interests.

The 2020 recruiting class for the Texas Longhorns basketball program needs to get rolling soon. It is one of the few big college hoops programs in the Big 12 that is still without a pledge in that class. Smart is surely giving a lot of attention to Cryer to be that first commit for 2020.