#LJ Figueroa

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LJ Figueroa

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LJ Figueroa makes St. John’s exit official with Oregon transfer

LJ Figueroa makes St. John’s exit official with Oregon transfer

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The inevitable became a reality Saturday afternoon: LJ Figueroa is leaving St. John’s.

Last year’s leading scorer announced his decision on Instagram to transfer to Oregon over Auburn and Memphis. The 6-foot-6 wing hasn’t ruled out going the pro route — his name is still in the NBA draft pool — but it is unlikely, a source said.

In his Instagram post, Figueroa thanked former St. John’s…

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St. John's Hoops Buzzes Past Sacred Heart, 104-82

St. John’s Hoops Buzzes Past Sacred Heart, 104-82

By Jerry Del Priore

Marvin Clark Jr. scored 23 points in St. John’s basketball win.

It doesn’t look like much can stop St. John’s University Men’s Basketball team these days, as five players registered double digits in points in its 104-82 rout of Scared Heart University (4-8) Saturday at Carnesecca  Arena.

Red-shirted forward Marvin Clark Jr. and junior guard Mustapha Heron posted game-highs…

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http://hoops227.tv LJ Figueroa with a dunk vs the Miami Chili' #Heat https://sports.yahoo.com/lj-figueroa-dunk-vs-miami-211100752.html?src=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

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http://hoops227.tv LJ Figueroa with a dunk vs the Miami Chili' #Heat https://sports.yahoo.com/lj-figueroa-dunk-vs-miami-211100752.html?src=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

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http://hoops227.tv LJ Figueroa with a dunk vs the Miami Chili' #Heat https://sports.yahoo.com/lj-figueroa-dunk-vs-miami-211100752.html?src=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

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http://hoops227.tv LJ Figueroa with a dunk vs the Miami Chili' #Heat https://sports.yahoo.com/lj-figueroa-dunk-vs-miami-211100752.html?src=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

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http://hoops227.tv LJ Figueroa with a dunk vs the Miami Chili' #Heat https://sports.yahoo.com/lj-figueroa-dunk-vs-miami-211100752.html?src=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

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LJ Figueroa

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BÁSQUETBOL - Delgado, Feliz y Figueroa irán al draft de la LNB

BÁSQUETBOL – Delgado, Feliz y Figueroa irán al draft de la LNB

Ángel Delgado, Andrés Feliz y LJ Figueroa encabezan un listado de 225 jugadores inscritos para el sorteo de novatos de la Liga Nacional de Baloncesto, previsto para celebrarse el jueves 27 de mayo a las 7:00 de la noche en el Hard Rock Café de Blue Centro comercial. Delgado, de 26 años y con experiencia en la NBA con Los Ángeles Clippers, está completando su primera temporada con el Movistar…

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LJ Figueroa se crece en triunfo del Barias ante Los Prados

LJ Figueroa se crece en triunfo del Barias ante Los Prados

LJ Figueroa mostró este viernes una tórrida ofensiva de 25 puntos y encabezó a otros cuatro compañeros en cifras dobles de anotación en el triunfo del club Rafael Barias con amplio marcador de 108-82 ante Los Prados, en el partido de primera tanda del TBSDistrito disputado en el Palacio de los Deportes Profesor Virgilio Travieso Soto. Los barianos se alzaron así con su tercera victoria de la…

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Bass, Clemente y Figueroa, trío imparable que pone al Barias con 2-0

Bass, Clemente y Figueroa, trío imparable que pone al Barias con 2-0

Los importados Paris Bass y Ramón Clemente, y el nativo LJ Figueroa marcaron la diferencia la noche de este viernes en el triunfo del club Rafael Barias 94-84 sobre Bameso, en el último partido de la tercera jornada de la serie regular del TBSDistrito 2021, en el Palacio de los Deportes Profesor Virgilio Travieso Soto. Bass volvió a tener otra noche productiva para los barianos, esta vez con 24…

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The Pac-12 saved its reputation in the men’s NCAA tournament

Who has the best shot at the Final Four?

It was only two short years ago that the Pac-12 was considered perhaps the worst power conference in the history of men’s college basketball. Pac-12 teams were getting pounded by every quality opponent it faced outside of the league and ended the regular season with exactly zero teams ranked in the polls. The Pac-12 was projected to be a one-bid conference for much of the year, but rallied to get three teams into the tournament, none of them seeded better than a No. 9 seed. It finished as the seventh strongest league in the country the, behind the American and Big East, in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings.

Given that the Pac-12’s reputation isn’t any better on the football field, the ‘Conference of Champions’ was becoming much more widely known as a punchline than it was for the number of trophies it was hoisting. That recent history is only part of the reason why the conference’s success in the 2021 men’s NCAA tournament feels so shocking to see.

The Pac-12 is the unquestioned biggest winner of the tournament’s opening weekend. The conference went 9-1 overall through the first two rounds, and each of its five teams in the field earned at least one win. Pac-12 teams weren’t just winning games, they also went 9-1 against the spread. Now the conference will make up a quarter of the Sweet 16 when the round begins on Saturday, with Oregon, USC, UCLA, and Oregon each busting through the bracket.

Here’s how each of the four Pac-12 teams reached the second weekend of the big dance — and where they could go from here.

Oregon Ducks (No. 7 seed)

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

How they got here:

Uncontested win over No. 10 seed VCU

Win over No. 2 seed Iowa, 95-80

Faces No. 6 seed USC in Sweet 16

It’s been a hard season for Oregon from the very start. The Ducks lost starting center and former five-star recruit N’Faly Dante to a torn ACL in Dec., had to play half the season without standout guard Will Richardson as he recovered from thumb surgery, and had multiple Covid-related pauses after the season started.

Oregon started to hit its stride once Richardson returned to the lineup in February, and they played their best game of the season at the most opportune time in the round of 32 vs. Iowa. Oregon dropped a season-high 95 points on the Hawkeyes that included 11 three-pointers and 10 dunks. You’d never know who was supposed to be the No. 2 seed with the presumptive national player of the year candidate watching that game.

Oregon’s success starts with Chris Duarte and Richardson in the backcourt. Duarte is a 6’6 wing and native of the Dominican Republic who arrived at Oregon after being named JUCO player of the year at Northwest Florida State College in 2019. Now the 23-year-old is being considered a potential first round pick for his 43 percent three-point shooting (on 138 attempts) and defensive impact. Duarte is also making 63 percent of his two-pointers and shoots 80 percent from the foul line — he’s one of the country’s most efficient shooters any way you look at it. Richardson is also shooting 41 percent from three this year, and handles most of the playmaking burden. This is one of the best backcourts in America.

Without Dante, the Ducks’ entire lineup is listed at either 6’5 or 6’6, with 6’8 wing Chandler Lawson representing the tallest player in their rotation. The lack of size didn’t matter against Iowa’s Luka Garza, the best offensive center in the country. St. John’s transfer LJ Figueroa and Duquesne transfer Eric Williams have done an admirable job on the glass and defending the paint, but the key for Oregon is spreading teams out and beating them on the other end. It’s a strategy that produced some beautiful basketball against Iowa, and could keep them rolling into the Elite Eight.

Oregon State Beavers (No. 12 seed)

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

How they got here:

Win over Tennessee, 70-56

Win over Oklahoma State, 80-70

Faces No. 8 seed Loyola-Chicago next

By now, Oregon State’s origin story is starting to become widely known. Picked to finish dead last in the Pac-12 in the preseason, the Beavers were a sub-.500 team in the conference for most of the year before catching fire at the end of the season and winning the Pac-12 tournament. If not for Oral Roberts’ run as a No. 15 seed, Oregon State’s success would be the most baffling surprise of the tournament. At the same time, the more you watch the Beavers play, the less this looks like a fluke.

Despite being one of the last 16 teams left standing in college basketball, the Beavers place just No. 50 overall in KenPom’s efficiency rankings with the No. 41 offense and No. 69 defense in America. They share the ball — assisting on 59 percent of their field goals, a top-30 mark in the country — and play slow, which has helped them as an underdog. The Beavers got the benefit of an ultra hot shooting night in their tournament opening upset of Tennessee, but they were still able to beat future No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Cade Cunningham and Oklahoma State on a poor shooting night. The defense has been the key, holding both opponents at or below .90 points per possession in March Madness so far.

Ethan Thompson, son of Beavers assistant coach Stephen Thompson, has been the star of the tournament run so far, dropping 26 points on 15-of-16 shooting from the foul line in the win over OK State. Sophomore 6’3 guard Jarod Lucas is Oregon State’s biggest three-point threat (39 percent from deep), while Nicholls St. transfer Warith Alatishe is a lockdown defensive wing at 6’7. They also have a 7’1 center in Roman Silva who scored 15 points in the win over Tennessee and gives Beavers a matchup nightmare in the middle for whoever they play.

A date with Loyola-Chicago is going to be tough in the Sweet 16, but the way Oregon State is playing right now, there’s no reason to think they can’t compete.

USC Trojans (No. 6 seed)

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

How they got here:

Beat Drake, 72-56

Beat Kansas, 85-51

Faces No. 7 seed Oregon in Sweet 16

USC just did the unthinkable and made Kansas — Kansas! — look like a mid-major by routing the Jayhawks before halftime in the round of 32. No, this wasn’t Bill Self’s best team ever, but the dominance that the Trojans displayed in that game should put the rest of the West region on notice. USC has a top-15 offense, a top-five defense, and the single most talented player left standing in the tournament.

Evan Mobley is special, there’s no other way to put it. The 7-foot freshman center is an outrageous defensive talent who can protect the rim or block jump shots with his combination of length (7’5 wingspan) and quickness. He’s also a versatile offensive player who excels as a passer in the pick-and-roll and has enough touch to finish inside or hit a jump shot out to three-point range with some consistency. Mobley is projected the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and he’s a problem without an answer for every team left standing.

Mobley’s older brother, Isaiah, has also been playing well for the Trojans, hitting 4-of-5 threes in the win against the Jayhawks. Tahj Eaddy has proven to be a tough senior point guard, while Drew Peterson provides some much needed shooting on the wing.

Yes, USC has a freshman superstar, but they’re also playing like more than a one-man show right now. The Trojans beat Oregon in their only meeting this year, but you know the Ducks will be ready for the rematch.

UCLA Bruins (No. 11 seed)

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

How they got here:

Beat Michigan state, 86-80 in OT, in the First Four

Beat BYU, 73-62

Beat Abilene Christian, 67-47

Faces No. 2 seed Alabama in Sweet 16

The reasons for optimism ahead of head coach Mick Cronin’s second season in charge at UCLA this year started to fade before the season even began. Top recruit Daishen Nix decided he’d rather play for the G League Ignite. Six games into the year, Chris Smith, arguably the team’s best player, was lost for the year with a torn ACL. Starting center Jalen Hill has also been out since Feb. for personal reasons.

The Bruins just snuck into the tournament, and had to earn their way through the bracket with a First Four game against Michigan State. The Spartans had the Bruins on the ropes, but somehow UCLA came back to win in overtime. Ever since, UCLA has been rolling.

Sophomore wings Johnny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez Jr. have been powering the Bruins on this run. Juzang, a Kentucky transfer, has been the team’s primary scorer in March, averaging 22 points per game and combining for nine three-pointers during the team’s tournament winning streak. Jaquez was sensational in the First Four win over MSU (27 points), and has been providing supplemental scoring punch ever since. Add in Jules Bernard, Tyger Campbell, and Cody Riley, and suddenly the Bruins have a solid five-man lineup that looks like it can compete against anyone in the East region right now.

Facing No. 2 seed Alabama will be an incredible test in the Sweet 16, but the Bruins will have a puncher’s chance.

Which Pac-12 team has the best chance to make the Final Four?

This is a really hard question to answer heading into the Sweet 16, especially because the winner of Oregon vs. USC would have to face a powerhouse Gonzaga team in the Elite Eight. We’ll stack up the Pac-12 teams like this entering the Sweet 16:

4. Oregon Ducks

3. USC Trojans

2. UCLA Bruins

1. Oregon State Beavers

Even if the Pac-12 can’t advance a team to the Final Four, it’s been an amazing run through the tournament for the conference so far. It will be fascinating if any of them are still standing a week from now.

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Update on the most recent sports

Chris Duarte scored 23 focuses and seventh seed Oregon gave no indications of rust after a long cutback, beating No. 2 seed Iowa 95-80. LJ Figueroa hit five 3s while scoring 21 focuses for the Ducks, who were playing interestingly since the gathering competition and progressed to the second round when their game with VCU was dropped because of COVID-19 issues.

Will Richardson added 19 focuses for an Oregon assault that shot 56% and hit 11 3-pointers.

Hawkeyes focus Luka Garza played like a double cross All-American, conveying 36 focuses and nine bounce back in his last school game.

Another Pac-12 crew progressed. UCLA began solid and just improved in a 67-47 defeat of Abilene Christian. Johnny Juzang (JOO'- zang) conveyed the eleventh cultivated Bruins' offense with a game-high 17 focuses, while Cody Riley added 12 focuses and 12 bounce back. The Bruins are the third school from the daintily respected Pac 12 to arrive at the local elimination rounds and could be joined by meeting part Southern Cal. UCLA is the main First Four group to arrive at the Sweet 16 since Syracuse in 2018.

USC's 85-51 destroying of third seed Kansas gives the Pac-12 four groups in the Sweet 16. Isaiah Mobley hit four 3-pointers and scored 17 focuses, while All-American older sibling Evan added 10 focuses and 13 bounce back.

Isaiah White added 13 focuses and Tahj Eaddy had 12 for the Trojans, who dramatically increased the most exceedingly terrible edge of rout for the Jayhawks in 49 outings to the NCAA Tournament.

Top-cultivated Michigan is presently the Big Ten's just expect competition greatness subsequent to getting 21 focuses each from Chaundee Brown and Eli Brooks in an exciting ride 86-78 triumph over LSU.

In a game brimming with huge runs, the Wolverines utilized a 14-1 spray halfway during that time half to pull away and save a promise of something better for a gathering that has for the most part failed these four days in Indianapolis.

Earthy colored did the most-enduring harm, making six free tosses and a 3-pointer during the conclusive stretch that gave the Wolverines a 72-64 lead with 5:55 left.

Michigan turned into the last Big Ten group standing when Alabama squashed Maryland, 96-77. Jaden Shackelford siphoned in 21 focuses and John Petty broke out of a shooting droop to score 20 for the second-cultivated Crimson Tide. Shackelford made five of Alabama's 16 3-pointers as the second-cultivated Crimson Tide progressed to their first Sweet 16 since 2004.

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LJ Figueroa