After a stellar UAA Circuit with Team Breakdown (FL), Lionel “LJ” Figueroa has sparked the interest of schools all over the country, hoping to win the recruitment of the 6’5”, Small Forward from Tampa, Florida. Although his team finished the circuit with a meager 3-9 record, Figueroa was the lone bright spot on the team. As the July evaluation period begins, scouts will be keeping a close eye on the forward from the Class of 2017. With the Under Armour All-American Camp later this month, Figueroa is ready to make waves.

 

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Figueroa came to the United States to begin at Lawrence High School. However, after not receiving much playing time, Figueroa transferred to Oldsmar Christian High School (Tampa, FL) where he proceeded to place himself among the nation’s best, receiving offers from elite schools. “It’s a one in a lifetime kind of thing,” said Figueroa of the recruiting process. “This summer, I’ll be visiting some schools and I like some schools more than others, like Florida, Miami, USF, and Rutgers.”

Although he does not have a timetable for when he plans to commit, the process should heat up this month. After attending the Steph Curry Select Camp earlier this month, the 4-star prospect was able to match up against the country’s best players, while also receiving attention from the NBA’s MVP, further improving his already solid guard skills.

 

Most proud of his offensive ability, along with his rebounding, Figueroa continues to develop his talent and improve. His motivation to get better has led him to his recent transfer from Oldsmar Christian to West Oaks Academy (Orlando, FL). Helping him through the transfer has been his family, who always sticks by his side, as he says, “They’ve helped me a lot, on and off the court.” he continued. “They help me keep my mind straight with a lot of things. They help me keep my head straight and make sure I’m in the right place.”

No matter where he plays, it will be interesting to see how he fares in his senior year and at the next level in college. Hoping to pound the ball harder when he dribbles, Figueroa has many things to work on in his final year of high school.

 

Although he continues to receive plenty of college offers, Figueroa is a tremendous team player. Always looking to win, he will stop at nothing to get his team the win, saying, “I just go out and play hard every game, try to get my team to win.”

This attitude will definitely aid his new team at West Oaks Academy in his last chance to show what he’s made of in his senior year. Learning from Stephen Curry at the SC30 Select Camp and dominating the UAA Circuit has led to high expectations entering his final year of high school. While his domination on the circuit is something that he is proud of, it’s his team that he is most concerned with: “The circuit has been great and I’ve been doing well individually, but we haven’t been winning very much.” explained the Team Breakdown star.

Now, with the July evaluation period underway, Lionel Figueroa is ready to make his mark in his final chance to impress scouts this summer. Motivated by his family, Figueroa is a player to keep an eye on in the Class of 2017. Despite the offers and attention, Figueroa has one thing on his mind this summer, saying, “My family obviously motivates me to go out there and play my hardest.”