- Florida State linebacker Justin Cryer will be cheering for his brother, LJ, when his Houston Cougars take on the Florida Gators in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.
- The Cryer family is full of athletes, including their parents who were student athletes at Grambling State and their relative, Barry Cryer, a former defensive lineman at Nebraska.
- Justin claims to be a better basketball player than his older brother, LJ, who was a three-time All-Big 12 player at Baylor and is currently the leading scorer for Houston.
Justin (Juice) Cryer represents Florida State football, but on Monday night, he is a Houston Cougars fan.
The junior linebacker will cheer on his older brother and starting guard L.J. Cryer as Houston takes on the Florida Gators in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, which will tip off at 8:50 p.m. at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Juice Cryer comes from an athletic family background. His parents were student athletes at Grambling State. His father, Lionel, played basketball, while his mom, Tamica, played volleyball.
“It’s a family full of athletes who keeps us competitive,” Juice Cryer said. “It is a good support to be around.”
L.J. Cryer, a fifth-year senior, has played his last two seasons for the Cougars and has been their leading scorer each of those years. Before Houston, he played his first three seasons at Baylor.
The Cougars are coming off a win over Duke in the Final Four on Saturday. It is their first return to the national championship since 1984.
Is Juice Cryer a better hooper? He seems to think so
While L.J. Cryer has the accolades in basketball, Juice is unfazed. When he spoke about him briefly last season, he believed he is the better Cryer on the court than the three-time All-Big 12 player.
“Personally, I think I’m better than him at basketball,” Juice said confidently. “That’s my thing. People are going to say, ‘well, he’s an All-American.’ I ain’t trying to hear that.”
Justin Cryer was a multisport athlete at Royal High School but didn’t play basketball. He played both football and baseball. In his junior year, he hit .321 with five triples and two home runs.
While basketball was not his main sport, Justin Cryer did not back down on his remark. L.J. Cryer is shooting 41.4 percent on the field and 42.7 percent from 3 this season.
“People think I am joking, but I honestly think I’m a better shooter, but nobody is going to believe me in that,” Juice Cryer said. “It’s okay, you don’t have to believe that.”
Justin Cryer is in his third season at FSU. The former three-star prospect originally enrolled at Northwestern before he transferred in 2023.
He played in 22 games, including nine last year. During the 2024 season, he produced 32 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, one interception, and one fumble recovery before suffering a season-ending injury.
No matter how competitive the two are on the court, the Cryers still support one another regardless of where they are or who they play for.
“If you see him on social media activity during the game, you can tell he’s definitely watching,” Justin Cryer said.
“He’s always going to support me no matter where I’m at, and it’s vice versa. When it’s March time. I’m always rocking with him no matter where he’s at. We’re just going to keep continuing to support each other. That’s my guy. ”
How to watch NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship
- Date: Monday, April 7
- Time: 8:50 p.m. EST
- Where: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
- TV/Stream: CBS, Fubo (Free Trial)
