Resiliency. One of the reasons Illinois head coach Brad Underwood was so excited to recruit, sign and develop Andre Curbelo was his ability to see and recognize things that other point guards simply can’t. “I’m not afraid to make those kinds of passes but a lot of the time, not everybody sees what I see. Illinois, which sits firmly in second place in the Big Ten Conference standings behind COVID-paused Michigan, will next play Saturday at home against No. Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andre Curbelo (5) and forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) celebrate on the court after defeating the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. “He sees things and understands things at a level that is a savant in his ability to retain information.”. Long Island Lutheran's Andre Curbelo in action against Holy Spirit Prep during a high school basketball game at the Hoophall Classic on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, in Springfield, Mass. Illini … In Illinois’ hard-fought win in Champaign on Dec. 26, Franklin connected on 5 of 6 from beyond the arc for a 23-point effort. And so let us now face an elephant that has finally, at long last, wandered into our room. “It was the first time in awhile I was upset with my basketball team at halftime (because) giving up 41 first-half points was not conducive to winning on the road,” Underwood said. André Jael Curbelo Rodríguez (born October 13, 2001) is a Puerto Rican college basketball player for the Illinois Fighting Illini of the Big Ten Conference. Additionally, he has that same “bulldog” type of play-style Feliz brought to the table. Illinois basketball freshman guard Andre Curbelo just received some preseason love by college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein. 2 minutes read. The Fighting Illini coaching staff was able to land the No. ... 31 amazing Illini basketball history photos. Listed at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and 175 pounds (79 kg), he plays the point guard position. “We were lethargic and they whipped us. 46 player in the Class of 2020 by Rivals, Curbelo was most recently named to USA Today's 25-player 2019-20 All-USA Preseason Team entering his senior year at LuHi. As Rothstein said, Curbelo is a floor general. When Andre Curbelo steps on the court for the No. Andre Curbelo NCAA Basketball player profile pages at CBSSports.com. 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It was a bounce pass that needed to be real low and hard so it would come up to his waist. Illinois won 75-71 in overtime. Curbelo should be able to fill that void as he can pretty much do it all. “Adam Miller may be getting the sizzle when it comes to Illinois’ newcomers next season, but Curbelo will definitely get his taste of the steak. Congratulations, Belo! He was inspired by the great Duke teams of the late 2000s and early 2010s, … Curbelo is an obvious fit for Illinois — the Illini already boast a wiry, athletic, on-ball lead guard. “When it’s winning time, you can’t make mistakes and you have to force opponent’s into something they don’t want to do when they’re clearly trying to run their very best play for their very best player,” Underwood said. Fighting Illini Basketball. 17 ranked recruiting class in 2020. 44 overall player in the 2020 class. “I always knew he was a talented player and tonight without Ayo, who we all know is the elite closer in all of college basketball, it had to be him. That’s what happened and he dunked it and that was the ball game right there. January 31, 2021. Growing up in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Andre Curbelo fell in love with college basketball from afar. Toughness. Andre Curbelo is certain to be a fan favorite and hard-nosed player for years to come in an Illini uniform. “I know sometimes I force my passes and do silly things on the court. PRINCE ON ILLINI BASKETBALL. The Puerto Rico native was just recently given some preseason recognition as CBS Sports analyst Jon Rothstein released his list of college basketball’s “under-the-radar freshmen for the ‘20-21 season,” which included Curbelo. Included in this 2020 class is point guard Andre Curbelo. Curbelo chose the Illini over schools such as Indiana, Florida, Dayton, Kansas, Louisville, and others. He has all the potential to have a breakout freshman campaign. Really challenged our guys and was the first time I had to do that we responded.”. The home game is played at the State Farm Center, located on … Curbelo’s creativity with the basketball has been something Underwood has been resigned to smile about and pleasantly deal with internally during the same game. 1-seeded Illini, it’s like watching the uncorking of a Champagne bottle. Sometimes, they’ll listen to some of Miller’s favorite Chicago rappers. So (on the play with Cockburn), I saw it and I have confidence in myself and confidence in Kofi.” - Illinois freshman guard Andre Curbelo. It was a great night and a great learning moment or him,” Underwood said. Long Island Lutheran's Andre Curbelo #11 shoots a free throw against Holy Spirit Prep during a high school basketball game at the Hoophall Classic, Sunday, January 20, 2019, in Springfield, MA. After the final buzzer sounded, Ayo Dosunmu walked over to devastated teammate Andre Curbelo and helped him up off the floor. Season averages: 9.1 ppg, 4.2 apg, 4.0 rpg Shooting slash: 49.8/16.1/72.8 Notable advanced stat: It should come as no surprise that … 1987. The winning basket for Illinois in its 75-71 overtime victory at Indiana Tuesday night symbolized every bit of the high praise the freshman guard has been receiving from the coaching staff since the day he arrived on the Champaign campus. Andre Curbelo: A- Curbelo was just two assists away from achieving a triple-double on Thursday night, highlighting why the future of Illinois basketball is in good hands. Indiana (9-8, 4-6) was hoping to build its NCAA Tournament resume with a home win against a Top 15 opponent but with No. Ranked as high as the No. Highlights from the Illini's 74-69 win over the Badgers. Curbelo will bring loads of talent and relentless effort to Champaign. Basketball Illini need to continue letting Andre Curbelo run wild. For the first time in Andre Curbelo’s memory, other teams will want to poach from the Illini … Andre Curbelo (5) G - Curbelo's Career & Season Game-By-Game Stats (PDF) 2020-21 Freshman Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year and Big Ten All-Freshman Team Fourth Curbelo could be future Illini star ... Andre Curbelo, a 6-foot-2 point guard from Puerto Rico, who plays at Long Island Lutheran in Glen Head, New York. Curbelo’s arrival to Champaign comes at the perfect time, as the Illini lost 2019-20 key senior guard Andres Feliz. Andre Curbelo is one of the most entertaining players in college basketball. So (on the play with Cockburn), I saw it and I have confidence in myself and confidence in Kofi.”. In this critical possession, the two-man action with Curbelo along with the Illini’s sophomore center led to the extraordinary occurring instead the frustrating. Rather, they listen to music. #YouGoGirl #DoIGetACookie. There is a reason he was ranked as a top-50 player in the 2020 class. Curbelo, senior Trent Frazier, Giorgi Bezhanishvili, and Cockburn were instrumental in turning a 41-34 halftime deficit into an Illini lead over the first seven minutes of the second half. Home/Basketball/ Illini need to continue letting Andre Curbelo run wild. Basketball is in Andre Curbelo ’s blood. Illinois men’s basketball lands Andre Curbelo Brad Underwood and the Fighting Illini add another out-of-state top 100 prospect in table-setting point guard Andre Curbelo. Curbelo had 12 points, which represented his first double-figure scoring effort since Christmas, five rebounds and four assists on a night where his defense was as equally critical to the Illini picking up its first win in Bloomington’s Assembly Hall since 2010. Andre Curbelo’s pass to Kofi Cockburn leads to Illinois' winning dunk for in a 75-71 overtime victory at Indiana and symbolized everything that is special about the Illini freshman guard. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports. Belo had his first career double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds) against Nebraska on Thursday. The Illini freshman, a spunky, wiz of a ball handler, moved to New York City when he was 13. He is also a prolific scorer, as he averaged 17.4 points per contest at Long Island Lutheran High School. Big Ten Freshman of the Week: Andre Curbelo . Curbelo, a 6-foot, 170-pound point guard out of Long Island Lutheran High School, located in Long Island, NY, was ranked the No. The Illinois basketball team is now in the mix for a top recruit. The Illini senior guard also chased around Indiana sharpshooter Armaan Franklin for 35 minutes. I have more confidence in my teammates than they have in themselves. The Fighting Illini coaching staff was able to land the No. After a three-hour practice, Illinois freshman guards Andre Curbelo and Adam Miller need to cool off. The victory put an end to an annoying losing streak for Illini fans being forced to watch their team lose seven straight inside Bloomington’s Assembly Hall and meant Illinois (12-5, 8-3) got its first win at Indiana since 2010. Andre Curbelo is a name the nation will get to know in this upcoming NCAA Basketball Tournament. Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andre Curbelo (5) looks to pass the ball past Indiana Hoosiers forward Race Thompson (25) during the second half of a 2021 game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. On Tuesday night, the highly-recruited sophomore guard from Indianapolis only ended with 11 points and didn’t attempt a single shot in the five-minute overtime period. All In. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Tumblr Pinterest Reddit VKontakte Odnoklassniki Pocket WhatsApp Telegram Viber. The Illini have officially made the top five for Andre Curbelo. I know it,” Curbelo said. Andre Curbelo, four-star point guard who attended high school at Long Island Lutheran in New York, verbally committed to the Illini Friday morning at his high school. Frazier tied a game-high 19 points that included a two-minute stretch where on three straight possessions he lost Indiana freshman guard Khristian Lander for two open 3-point looks and then sent the 18-year-old to the bench for good after Lander committed his fifth foul on a shot beyond the arc. The native of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, isn’t just an All-Big Ten freshman and Sixth Man of the Year, although he has reason to be proud of earning those accolades after a … Andre has a great understanding of the game and makes his teammates better with his outstanding vision and basketball IQ." The freshman guard from Long Island, N.Y. both is second in Big Ten Conference in assists in league play (5.7) and also is second on the team in turnovers with 41 this season. writingillini.com. Curbelo, who Illinois lists at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, plays his high school basketball in the Long Island district of New York and verbally committed to the Illini program on Nov. 1. 8 Iowa coming to town Sunday, the Hoosiers could find themselves on the wrong side of the tournament bubble by the end of the week. Andre Curbelo’s pass to Kofi Cockburn leads to Illinois' winning dunk for in a 75-71 overtime victory at Indiana and symbolized everything that is special about the Illini freshman guard. A table setting point guard, this floor general should be the perfect complement to Brad Underwood’s strong returning nucleus.”. The Illinois men's basketball team has four members in its 2020 recruiting class: Adam Miller, Andre Curbelo, Coleman Hawkins and Brandon Lieb. On a night where Ayo Dosunmu struggled to find any offensive rhythm (2 of 11 for 10 points in 29 minutes that saw him foul out for the final seven minutes and 40 seconds of game action), Illinois needed to rely on its defense to make another second-half comeback. He represents Puerto Rican national team in junior international tournaments. The latest stats, facts, news and notes on Andre Curbelo of the Illinois Fighting Illini You now have Illini Report’s permission to believe in this team. THE SALARIES, UNCAPPED. The two will hop in Miller’s car and grab a bite to eat. On those drives, the two don’t always talk about basketball. Before Lander, who graduated early from his Evansville, Ind., high school, could realize what had happened, Frazier had nearly single-handedly turned three-point deficit into a two-point lead. Cockburn allowed Indiana leading scorer Trayce Jackson-Davis to connect for 12 first-half points including a wide-open jumper at the halftime buzzer that forced Underwood to verbally and emotionally challenge his sophomore center. Brad Underwood and Illinois wanted to be sure to land a point guard from the class and the Illini scored with one of the very best on Friday when Andre Curbelo announced that he will wear the orange and blue in college.. A 6-footer from Puerto Rico who has starred at Glen Head (N.Y.) Long Island Lutheran and during the summer with the New York Jayhawks, Curbelo loved everything about the Illini. His father was an Olympian, and his aunt also played for Puerto Rico’s national team. Powered by Minute Media © 2021 All Rights Reserved. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Illinois Fighting Illini and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. 19 Wisconsin (14-5, 8-4) for a 1:30 p.m. tip on Fox. “As a point guard, and everybody knows this by now, I like to pass the ball and one of the great things about me is the court vision that I have,” Curbelo said describing the game-winning play. Illinois Basketball: College Careers| Andre Curbelo| Recruiting The Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. “I’m not afraid to make those kinds of passes but a lot of the time, not everybody sees what I see. On Tuesday night, it was a single bounce pass to Kofi Cockburn off a pick-and-roll action where the freshman guard says he saw an angle and a window to throw the basketball where only the 7-foot, 290-pound center could slam it down for the Illini’s final bucket in the overtime session. I knew he was going to get it. I trust him. Illini hoops signees Adam Miller and Andre Curbelo made big jumps in the final 247Sports rankings for the 2020 class, which were released on Wednesday.. Miller, who took home Mr. Basketball … Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. His film backs this claim up, as he has shown he is fully capable of finding the open man and dishing out dimes. Tweeted ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony: “Sierra Canyon brought the crowd and TV cameras, but Illinois commit Andre Curbelo was the best player on … Andre Curbelo leaned back in his chair at the press conference, took the microphone off the provided stand and held it as he answered questions. The Illinois men's basketball team has four members in its 2020 recruiting class: Adam Miller, Andre Curbelo, Coleman Hawkins and Brandon Lieb. 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