Illinois Basketball: 4 observations from the Illini win over Indiana, again
By Collin Allen
4. Andre Curbelo is a special piece to the Illini’s success
As I mentioned earlier, the Illini needed players to step up after Ayo Dosunmu was held to only 10 points and would see an early exit after fouling out of the game.
Freshman guard Andre Curbelo came through for Illinois in multiple aspects in the road win.
Whether it was with a flashy move to the basket or an astonishing dime to a teammate, Curbelo was making craft magician-like plays all night long. The freshman point guard was crucial, especially towards the end of the contest when the Orange and Blue needed it the most.
Curbelo would score or assist on the Illini’s four most crucial points of the game, which came in the final 1:50 of overtime. He would make arguably the play of the game with an astonishing assist to Kofi Cockburn, which ended in a dunk to put the Illini up four points with 19.9 seconds remaining in the game.
The talented guard finished the night with 12 points and shooting 50-percent from the field. Curbelo would also record 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in the contest.
Next. Illini a big mover in the latest AP Top 25. dark
The Orange and Blue have now improved to 12-5 on the season and 8-3 in the conference. They will host the No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers this Saturday at 2:30 EST.