Oregon Basketball: Transfer LJ Figueroa Brings Experience To Ducks

NEW YORK , NY - MARCH 11: LJ Figueroa #30 of the St. John's Red Storm takes a foul shot during the Big East Conference Men's Basketball Tournament First Round game against the Georgetown Hoyas at Madison Square Garden on March 11, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
NEW YORK , NY - MARCH 11: LJ Figueroa #30 of the St. John's Red Storm takes a foul shot during the Big East Conference Men's Basketball Tournament First Round game against the Georgetown Hoyas at Madison Square Garden on March 11, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Oregon Head Coach Dana Altman has added another key piece to the puzzle for the upcoming season in transfers LJ Figueroa.

The Junior is transferring from St, John’s where he led the team in scoring putting up 14.5 points per game last season. He led the team in putting up double digits with 22 games scoring more than 10 points which will be a nice addition to a team that is replacing  one of the best players in Oregon history in Payton Pritchard.

More from Autzen Zoo

Like Pritchard, Figueroa has shown his durability playing in all 32 games last season. At 6 foot 6, he has the height to potentially play multiple spots on the floor under Altman’s offense. With graduation last season and the departure of Pritchard, the team will have an opportunity to find the right role for several players for the upcoming season.

Figueroa also brings solid experience in winning when it counts. He has postseason experience and has shown when the lights get brighter and the stage is bigger he will shine. He has played and won games against Arizona State, scoring a double-double.  He also had a role in beating the defending national champion in Villanova when they were ranked 13th. He had 22 points and 12 rebounds in the St John’s win .

Last season he shot over 36 percent from beyond the arc. He also has a prowess for stealing when on the defensive end of the floor. He posted three games with three or more steals averaging 1.9 steals for the season. LJ Figueroa brings talent and experience to a team that will be looking for a new leader on the floor next season.

Figueroa will apply for a waiver to play in the upcoming season since he would have to sit out a year due to transferring from St. John’s.