André Curbelo

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. He represents Puerto Rican national team in junior international tournaments. Listed at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and 175 pounds (79 kg), he plays the point guard position.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Curbelo and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.
André Curbelo
No. 5 – Illinois Fighting Illini
PositionPoint guard
LeagueBig Ten Conference
Personal information
Born (2001-10-13) October 13, 2001
San Juan, Puerto Rico
NationalityPuerto Rican
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High schoolLong Island Lutheran
(Brookville, New York)
CollegeIllinois (2020–present)
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Puerto Rico
FIBA Under-17 World Cup
2018 Argentina
FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship
2017 Argentina
Centrobasket Under-15 Championship
2016 Puerto Rico

High school career

Curbelo grew up in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico and started playing basketball at age four.[1] He moved to the New York 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 a Class AA title at the New York State Federation Tournament of Champions, his school's first-ever Federation championship.[2] In April 2019, Curbelo played for the World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon.[4]

Recruiting

Curbelo is considered a four-star recruit. On November 1, 2019, he committed to play 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]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
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: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 87
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 38  247Sports: 58  ESPN: 44
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Illinois 2020 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  • "2020 Illinois Fighting Illini Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 11, 2020.

    National team career

    In 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.[6] At the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Formosa, Argentina, he averaged a tournament-leading 21.8 points, 7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.5 steals per game and won a bronze medal.[7] 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.[8] 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]

    Personal life

    Curbelo's father, Joel, played professional basketball for 18 years and represented Puerto Rico at the 1996 Summer Olympics.[9] His mother, Joann Rodríguez, played for the Puerto Rico women's national handball team. Curbelo's aunt played basketball for the Puerto Rico national team.[10]

    References
    1. Daniels, Evan (July 8, 2019). "Recruiting on back burner for Andre Curbelo". 247Sports. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
    2. Wagner, Joey (December 7, 2019). "How Illinois basketball signee Andre Curbelo developed a knack for passing". Herald & Review. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
    3. 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.
    4. Bobb, Maurice (April 11, 2019). "Nike Hoop Summit 2019: Viewing Info, Rosters and Players to Watch". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
    5. Stevens, Matthew (November 1, 2019). "Four-Star 2020 PG Andre Curbelo Commits to Illinois". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
    6. "Andre Jael Curbelo Rodriguez". FIBA. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
    7. "Andre Jael Curbelo Rodriguez". FIBA. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
    8. Daniels, Evan (July 2, 2018). "FIBA u17: Andre Curbelo shines, says two are prioritizing him". 247Sports. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
    9. 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.
    10. "PR's Curbelo excels against first European foe". FIBA. July 1, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
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