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Illinois Basketball: The good, the bad, and the expectations for Andre Curbelo

By Rees Woodcock

Feb 16, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andre Curbelo (5) celebrates after his team scores against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at the State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 16, 2021; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andre Curbelo (5) celebrates after his team scores against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at the State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Illinois basketball
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 13: Andre Curbelo #5 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates after a dunk in the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half of the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament semifinals at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 13, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

In the midst of a run to the NCAA tournament last season, the Illinois basketball program had the emergence of Andre Curbelo.

Curbelo joined the Illini as a top 60 recruit from the 2020 class, and he exceeded all expectations in his first season. But now that the Orange and Blue are playing winning basketball, and with Ayo Dosunmu departing, there is a lot more for Curbelo to shoulder for the upcoming season.

Here are the good, the bad, and the expectations for Andre Curbelo and the Illinois basketball team for the 2021-22 campaign.

Good

You really could go on for days about the good Curbelo brings to the program. Let’s first start off by saying the kid is a magician.

In just about every game last season, Curbelo had jaws drop to the floor as he would make an amazing pass or split through three defenders on the way to a layup. He is one of the best point guards I have ever seen suit up for the Illini.

On paper, Curbelo is just as impressive. He wasn’t the main ball-handler last season, as Ayo still had the reins of the team. But Curbelo received 21.5 minutes per game and during that time, he showed Illini Nation what he could do on the court.

Curbelo would finish his freshman season averaging 9.1 points, 4.2 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game. His 49.8% shooting from the field is solid for a guard as well.

There are some people who don’t look at Curbelo as a scorer, but the kid hit the double-digit scoring mark in 13 contests last season. He really is a Swiss Army Knife when it comes to the game of basketball.

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