André Jael Curbelo Rodríguez (born October 13, 2001) is a Puerto Rican college basketball player for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles of the Sun Belt Conference. He previously played for the Illinois Fighting Illini and St. John's Red Storm. Curbelo represents the Puerto Rican national team in international tournaments. Listed at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and 175 pounds (79 kg), he plays the point guard position.
.jpg) Curbelo with Illinois in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 11 – Southern Miss Golden Eagles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Point guard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Sun Belt Conference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | October 13, 2001 San Juan, Puerto Rico | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, New York) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College |
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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High school career
editCurbelo grew up in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico and started playing basketball at age four.[1] He moved to the New York area when he was 13 years old.[2] Curbelo decided to attend Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School in Brookville, New York after being suggested by a family friend. He spoke little English and struggled academically as a freshman, before gradually adjusting and improving his grades.[3] In his junior season, Curbelo averaged 15.5 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and four steals per game and was named Newsday All-Long Island Player of the Year. He led Long Island Lutheran to the Class AA title at the New York State Federation Tournament of Champions in 2019, his school's first-ever Class AA Federation championship after their seven previous Federation championships in classes A, B and C.[2] In April 2019, Curbelo played for the World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon.[4]
Recruiting
editCurbelo was considered a four-star recruit, according to major recruiting services. On November 1, 2019, he committed to playing college basketball for Illinois over offers from Oregon, Florida, Kansas and Louisville, among others. Curbelo was recruited to Illinois by assistant coach Orlando Antigua.[5]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| André Curbelo PG |
Vega Baja, Puerto Rico | Long Island Lutheran (NY) | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Nov 1, 2019 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 87
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| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 38 247Sports: 58 ESPN: 44 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
editIllinois (2020–2022)
edit2020–21 season
editCurbelo joined the Illinois basketball team as a freshman during the 2020–21 season. He debuted against North Carolina A&T, playing 19 minutes off the bench and tallying 8 points and 6 assists while Illinois won 122–60. Against Chicago State, Curbelo scored a career-high 18 points while securing 7 rebounds in the Illini's 97–38 win. During a Big Ten regular season matchup against Nebraska, Curbelo registered a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double, the first of his career. In their final regular season game against Ohio State, Curbelo played 29 minutes and set a new career-high with 19 points.
Curbelo was a significant piece off the bench during the 2021 Big Ten tournament championship run, averaging 26 minutes, 11.7 points, and 5 rebounds. In their final two games during the NCAA tournament, Curbelo averaged 8.5 points and 6 assists. During his freshman season, Curbelo averaged 9.1 points, 4.2 assists, and 4 rebounds per game. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and was awarded the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Award.[6]
2021–22 season
editCurbelo missed his sophomore season opener against Jackson State due to a concussion. Against Kansas State, Curbelo played limited minutes and then missed several games due to continued head trauma.[7] Curbelo played 19 games during the season averaging 19.3 minutes and 7.5 points per game. On March 28, 2022, he announced that he had decided to leave Illinois and enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[8]
St. John's (2022–2023)
editOn April 15, 2022, Curbelo announced that he had committed to St. John's.[9]
Southern Miss (2023–present)
editAfter a lackluster season at St. John's, Curbelo transferred again, this time to Southern Miss. Because this was his second transfer and without a degree, Curbelo was unable to play until the NCAA approved his eligibility waiver.[10] This became a moot point, however, when the NCAA's transfer rule was suspended for the 23-24 season, allowing Curbelo to play.[11]
National team career
editIn 2016, Curbelo won a gold medal with Puerto Rico at the Centrobasket Under-15 Championship in Patillas, Puerto Rico after averaging 16.5 points, seven rebounds and 6.5 assists per game.[12] At the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Formosa, Argentina, he averaged a tournament-leading 21.8 points, seven rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.5 steals per game and won a bronze medal.[13] Curbelo competed at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Argentina, where he averaged 13.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and a tournament-high 5.9 assists per game and led his team to another bronze medal.[14] He averaged 11.1 points and 5.6 assists per game at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Heraklion, Greece as Puerto Rico finished in sixth place.[1]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Illinois | 31 | 0 | 21.5 | .498 | .161 | .728 | 4.0 | 4.2 | .9 | .1 | 9.1 |
| 2021–22 | Illinois | 19 | 4 | 19.3 | .329 | .176 | .745 | 3.1 | 3.2 | .7 | .1 | 7.5 |
| 2022–23 | St. John's | 26 | 16 | 27.3 | .424 | .294 | .705 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 2.0 | .2 | 9.6 |
| 2023–24 | Southern Miss | 12 | 9 | 27.0 | .455 | .250 | .667 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 1.6 | .0 | 13.6 |
| Career | 88 | 29 | 23.5 | .432 | .218 | .712 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 1.3 | .1 | 9.5 | |
Personal life
editCurbelo's father, Joel, played professional basketball for 18 years and represented Puerto Rico at the 1996 Summer Olympics.[15] His mother, Joann Rodríguez, played for the Puerto Rico women's national handball team. Curbelo's aunt played basketball for the Puerto Rico women's national team.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b Daniels, Evan (July 8, 2019). "Recruiting on back burner for Andre Curbelo". 247Sports. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ a b Wagner, Joey (December 7, 2019). "How Illinois basketball signee Andre Curbelo developed a knack for passing". Herald & Review. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ Rubin, Roger (December 7, 2019). "Andre Curbelo leads a loaded LI Lutheran boys basketball team in quest for Federation repeat". Newsday. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ Bobb, Maurice (April 11, 2019). "Nike Hoop Summit 2019: Viewing Info, Rosters and Players to Watch". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ Stevens, Matthew (November 1, 2019). "Four-Star 2020 PG Andre Curbelo Commits to Illinois". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ Wagner, Joey (October 14, 2021). "'I think it's natural for him': Andre Curbelo ready to step into starring role for Illini". 247 Sports. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ Wagner, Joey (December 10, 2021). "Notebook: Curbelo 'getting better' but likely out against Arizona; Hutcherson reaggravates injury and is out". 247 Sports. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ Selbe, Nick (28 March 2022). "Illinois Guard Andre Curbelo Announces Intention to Transfer". si.com. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ "Illinois star Andre Curbelo returning home as St. John's transfer". New York Post. nypost.com. April 15, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ Sklar, Sam. "Southern Miss basketball opens with win, but Andre Curbelo sits, hoping for NCAA waiver".
- ^ "Andre Curbelo in line to make Southern Miss basketball debut after NCAA agreement".
- ^ "Andre Jael Curbelo Rodriguez". FIBA. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ "Andre Jael Curbelo Rodriguez". FIBA. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ Daniels, Evan (July 2, 2018). "FIBA u17: Andre Curbelo shines, says two are prioritizing him". 247Sports. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ Muñiz Pérez, Yamaira (February 10, 2020). "André Curbelo le roba el show al hijo de LeBron James". El Vocero (in Spanish). Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ "PR's Curbelo excels against first European foe". FIBA. July 1, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2020.