LJ Figueroa powers Storm to rout and a 6-0 record
St. John's LJ Figueroa dunks the ball against Maryland-Eastern Shore during a game at Carnesecca Arena in Queens on Tuesday. Credit: Steven Ryan
He is only six games into his Division I career yet St. John’s junior LJ Figueroa already is defying the norms.
Junior college transfers typically go through a transition period as they adjust to Division I’s higher speed and greater physicality. Not Figueroa. The 6-6 swingman has been a natural since he joined the Red Storm and it was very clear on Tuesday night as he scored 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting including four three-pointers as St. John’s easily dispatched Maryland Eastern Shore, 85-64, before a crowd of 4,727 at Carnesecca Arena.
His career-high brings his scoring average up to 15.8 points and he added 13 rebounds and five steals. Mustapha Heron scored 20 points, Mikey Dixon 14 and Shamorie Ponds had six assists and six rebounds for the Red Storm.
St. John’s is 6-0 for the first time since the 2009-10 season when it lost its seventh game at Duke. The Red Storm will try to make it seven straight on Dec. 1 against Georgia Tech at the Hoophall Miami Invitational; St. John’s last started 7-0 in 1994-95.
“In a way it’s a lot quicker and stronger,” Figueroa said of the move from junior college. “But if you know how to play the game, you can play with anybody. So it wasn’t too much of a difference.”
“It surprised me a little he’s playing this well,” Storm coach Chris Mullin said. “In the summertime, I saw the offensive instincts, but that doesn’t mean it carries over. As quickly as it has, that’s surprised me. And he’s been very consistent too.
“He has a nose for the ball and for rebounds,” Mullin added. “He has the ability to look like he standing straight up and be athletic and find his space to make his threes. He’s got a really good feel for the offensive game. He’s got some things defensively he needs to clean up [but] he has great energy and is very coachable.”
St. John’s is nine spots out of the AP Top 25 and there was no way that playing the Hawks (1-6) — ranked 348 of 353 according to Kenpom.com and without a Division I win — was going to help it climb. Still St. John’s attacked the first half pulling away to a 52-28 lead with Figueroa scoring 16 and the team shooting 11-for-21 on threes. It’s an improvement for the Storm, which has twice trailed lesser foes in the second half.
After the break, St. John’s lead never fell below 15 though, as Mullin said, “human nature took over and we got a little lackadaisical.”
Ponds carried a team best 23.2-point average into the contest but took only five shots. Mullin was fine with that.
“Shamorie is a gifted scorer, but he’s a great, great passer,” Mullin said. “He’s one of the few players who can influence the game without shooting, just with his pace. He was our best defender tonight. He can score any time he wants and, when the game dictates what is needed, that’s what he does.”
Steere transfers to St. John's. The St. John’s has become a destination for transfers — it has eight playing or sitting out this season because of NCAA transfer rules — and added another this week in Ian Steere. The 6-9 forward is transferring after playing in one game at N.C. State. Nevada, Cincinnati and Creighton reportedly were hoping Steere might pick them. Houston Baptist transfer David Caraher, sitting this season per NCAA rules, was an AAU teammate of Steere.
