He’s not the first name you’d attribute to the resurgent season being enjoyed by St. John’s this year.
He wasn’t even considered the top newcomer joining the Johnnies this year. That designation went to much-heralded arrival of one Mustapha Heron.
But L.J. Figueroa has been an integral part of a Red Storm program that has been rolling through its best campaign in four years, and certainly the best season of the Chris Mullin Era in Queens.
He may lack the flair of Shamorie Ponds and Heron, but make no mistake about Figueroa. He is a blue-collar worker who checks all the boxes across the nightly stat line.
“I just go out there and play hard and just do what coach asks me to do,” said Figueroa, who arrived at St. John’s this year after a season at Odessa Junior College which saw him average 21.4 points a game for the Wranglers last season, earning him JUCO All-America honors. “I’m always trying to give the team a spark and I just try to affect the game in a positive way.”
He has certainly done that this season as he is third on the Johnnies in scoring (14.2 ppg.), first in rebounding (6.4 per outing), second in both steals (55) and three-point shooting percentage (38.5%) and third in assists (51).
What has helped Figueroa flourish in his first season in Queens? Having his family around for the first time in a long time to watch him play on a regular basis.
“Being close to home and near my family is great,” said the Massachusetts native. “It’s awesome being around my family and it made me appreciate the game more. Having the support from them makes me feel a lot better on the court. They make most of the games (at the Garden) and every game in Queens I usually have some family members there.”
Another benefit of being an East Coast guy is that there was little to no adjustment to the New York lifestyle for Figueroa.
“I love playing in New York,” Figueroa said. “Growing up in Boston I used to come to New York every summer because I had family here. I played basketball around here, played in AAU tournaments around here. So growing up in Boston, kind of right around the corner from here, I kind of knew what I was getting into. I like all the support New York shows you and all the fun things there are to do in the city, like exploring the city and getting to know it.”
But those “Figgy in the City” excursions have been few and far between since October.
“For the most part, since the season started, we just stay out here in Queens,” Figueroa said.
Well, maybe there is one adjustment Figueroa still needs to make. It involves New York-style pizza. A staple for all city denizens.
“The pizza is good but you get a little tired of the pizza,” Figueroa said. (That borders on blasphemy and is one thing Figueroa needs to work on as a new New Yorker).
But what he doesn’t seem to need any help with is his play this season, especially when the Johnnies play at the Garden. In five games at the World’s Most Famous Arena this season Figueroa scored in double figures four times (he scored nine points in the other game) and logged a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds in a victory over Villanova. In the five contests at MSG, Figueroa has averaged 15.2 points and 5.8 boards as the Johnnies posted a 3-2 mark in those contests.
“Just being able to play in the BIG EAST is a blessing and playing in the Garden is a dream come true,” Figueroa said. “I mean, it’s the world’s greatest arena and just being on that court and actually running up and down and playing basketball there, coming from the Boys & Girls Club to the Garden, it’s just a different feeling. It’s unexplainable.”
Figueroa said he knew of the St. John’s program from his past travels into the city as a kid. But when he finally got to visit the school, it became a slam dunk that the Red Storm was the program for him.
“I just knew it was the right fit when I came here on a visit with my mom (Gleny Mercado),” Figueroa said. “She loved it and knew it felt like home. The way they treated my family when we came here was like no other. I just knew this was going to be my home and where I wanted to spend the rest of my college years.”
Plus, pulling on a St. John’s jersey meant the opportunity to play with one of the top guards in the country in Ponds.
“It’s a lot of fun playing with Shamorie,” Figueroa said. “He’s a great point guard, a great passer, great leader, as are Mustapha Heron, Marvin Clark and Justin Simon. They’re all vets who show you different things that make you better. They’re great leaders. They know how to talk but some are more vocal leaders and others just show it with their play.”
With a 20-8 record going into Thursday night’s encounter with Xavier at Carnesecca Arena, and with two victories over Marquette and one over Nova, have the Johnnies cemented their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2015.
“To be honest, with this being my first year here in Division I, I’m not too sure,” Figueroa said. “I just know we got to finish out strong in these next three BIG EAST games and we’ll go from there. We got the BIG EAST Tournament coming (March 13-16) so we’re just trying to win every game one by one.”
In a scheduling quirk, the Johnnies will face Xavier twice in the final three regular-season games (the other is a road game at DePaul) with Thursday night’s matchup with the Musketeers being the final home game of the season. Figueroa is hoping the Red Storm can give Clark II, the senior, a nice send-off.
“We’re looking forward to that one and with Marvin being a senior it’s going to be his last game so we’re looking forward to putting a lot out there for him one more time and show Carnesecca (crowd) what we’re made of,” Figueroa said.
And then it’s on to the BIG EAST Tournament, and a return to MSG for a player who seems to thrive there. So how much is Figueroa looking forward to his first foray into the conference’s marquee event?
“I’m really looking forward to that a lot,” Figueroa said. “We’ve been talking about it since before the season even started. I can’t wait but it’s been a real fun season so far.”