Andre Curbelo in the transfer portal

[Future Walk-On]

I'm a bit weirded out by some of our fans on social media. There is a reason his accounts online are restricted from comments. Dude moves half way across the country (from a former) to a boring, flat, farmtown and gives his all for our school, yet people still have the urge to harass a 19 year old on social media.

I live in a smaller D1 bball town now and can tell you they see everything: Boards, Twitter, IG. They will search their names to find it, if they aren't tagged.

I'm not saying this is the reason he is leaving. IMO it couldn't have helped...especially when Trent has to bring it up himself publicly.

Dude was nothing but Illini love and class for his 2 seasons and in his farewell letter. He even stayed after a close coach bailed. I doubt this is a happy time for him.

The MLK Day Andre vs. Purdue is what I fear could torment us for the next 2-3 years. He is only a sophomore who missed half a season with head injuries.

We can keep hoping, but need to stop expecting 1 and done lottery picks and let the kids develop.

Start winning/losing WITH/BEHIND the team instead of thinking they are winning for you or losing to spite you.

This isn't an investment, it's a donation.

 

[dweebs19]

i'll miss him and will root for him. I wish him the best

 

[Spirit of the Prairie]

Since so many here have cited Curbelo's injuries, especially the concussion, I have been curious about the "concussion protocol" that Underwood often mentioned. There have been players on other teams whose coaches said they had concussions - Michigan's DaVonte Jones is one - but they resumed playing fairly soon. (I think Jones only missed one game) In contrast, Curbelo and VerDonk were out for a long time. What accounts for the difference in the "protocol" if that comes from some authority like the BIG 10 or NCAA?

As a player, Curbelo brought both joy and heartbreak, and when he came onto the court during a game, the feeling of uncertainty always arose, "what's he going to do?" and I always suspected that his team mates had the same feeling, uncertainty, unpredictably. He had kind of a Dennis Rodman vibe about him.

 

[TheChief4Life]

Since so many here have cited Curbelo's injuries, especially the concussion, I have been curious about the "concussion protocol" that Underwood often mentioned. There have been players on other teams whose coaches said they had concussions - Michigan's DaVonte Jones is one - but they resumed playing fairly soon. (I think Jones only missed one game) In contrast, Curbelo and VerDonk were out for a long time. What accounts for the difference in the "protocol" if that comes from some authority like the BIG 10 or NCAA?

As a player, Curbelo brought both joy and heartbreak, and when he came onto the court during a game, the feeling of uncertainty always arose, "what's he going to do?" and I always suspected that his team mates had the same feeling, uncertainty, unpredictably. He had kind of a Dennis Rodman vibe about him.

If I'm not mistaken, the protocol is a set amount of time, rather, the protocol determines the length of time as time goes on. So, if certain criteria are not met, the protocol is extended.

My biggest concern about Curbelo is that he hasn't fully recovered... which leads me to wonder if he ever will. And, if people think getting one concussion isn't enough to derail an athlete permanently, then they haven't been around sports enough.

Concussion aside, he really didn't play that great in the two games this season before his concussion. I mean, good lord... he had 10 turnovers against IUPUI before the concussion. Come on... We can't accept that. As people have said a handful of times, he was spectacular at best, and uncontrollably erratic at worst. I don't want a ball handler with those two extremes. The injuries this year have caused the latter to be more prevalent than the former, and I'm honestly afraid that's his new normal.

 

[IlliniKat91]

If I'm not mistaken, the protocol is a set amount of time, rather, the protocol determines the length of time as time goes on. So, if certain criteria are not met, the protocol is extended.

My biggest concern about Curbelo is that he hasn't fully recovered... which leads me to wonder if he ever will. And, if people think getting one concussion isn't enough to derail an athlete permanently, then they haven't been around sports enough.

Concussion aside, he really didn't play that great in the two games this season before his concussion. I mean, good lord... he had 10 turnovers against IUPUI before the concussion. Come on... We can't accept that. As people have said a handful of times, he was spectacular at best, and uncontrollably erratic at worst. I don't want a ball handler with those two extremes. The injuries this year have caused the latter to be more prevalent than the former, and I'm honestly afraid that's his new normal.

I think you mean IUP. We played the school from Pennsylvania, not Indianapolis, this year

 

[ohioillini77]

If I'm not mistaken, the protocol is a set amount of time, rather, the protocol determines the length of time as time goes on. So, if certain criteria are not met, the protocol is extended.

My biggest concern about Curbelo is that he hasn't fully recovered... which leads me to wonder if he ever will. And, if people think getting one concussion isn't enough to derail an athlete permanently, then they haven't been around sports enough.

Concussion aside, he really didn't play that great in the two games this season before his concussion. I mean, good lord... he had 10 turnovers against IUPUI before the concussion. Come on... We can't accept that. As people have said a handful of times, he was spectacular at best, and uncontrollably erratic at worst. I don't want a ball handler with those two extremes. The injuries this year have caused the latter to be more prevalent than the former, and I'm honestly afraid that's his new normal.

I am not sure about the protocol Illinois uses. The best way it is done is to establish a neurological baseline for each player before the season begins through extensive testing. The player can return when they have returned to the baseline. This may take a week or six months. Studies have shown that the extent of the concussion is not obvious from just looking at the "hit".

 

[VA Illini Chief]

The Iowa game last year was one of the most incredible games Belo ever played. I watch those highlights often....we will miss him!

 

[Se Il Illini]

Since so many here have cited Curbelo's injuries, especially the concussion, I have been curious about the "concussion protocol" that Underwood often mentioned. There have been players on other teams whose coaches said they had concussions - Michigan's DaVonte Jones is one - but they resumed playing fairly soon. (I think Jones only missed one game) In contrast, Curbelo and VerDonk were out for a long time. What accounts for the difference in the "protocol" if that comes from some authority like the BIG 10 or NCAA?

As a player, Curbelo brought both joy and heartbreak, and when he came onto the court during a game, the feeling of uncertainty always arose, "what's he going to do?" and I always suspected that his team mates had the same feeling, uncertainty, unpredictably. He had kind of a Dennis Rodman vibe about him.

From a coaching perspective, the "what's he going to do" is the issue.

 

[bringbackoldkams]

I actually have found that other fan bases (going by message boards I randomly check and my non-Illini friends) are much harsher on Curbelo than people here, even now. I felt like I was constantly defending him this year, and a lot of comments on Big Ten message boards today were wondering if it wasn’t for our benefit he transferred. I don’t agree with that and would have loved Andre to stay, but just sayin’.

For what it’s worth, I asked some friends from multiple other B10 schools if they would want him as their starting PG and the answer was a resounding no.

 

[Boomauer]

For what it’s worth, I asked some friends from multiple other B10 schools if they would want him as their starting PG and the answer was a resounding no.

I doubt they would have said no if you had asked them at the end of last season or this preseason.

 

[bringbackoldkams]

I doubt they would have said no if you had asked them at the end of last season or this preseason.

Completely agree. My point was more so around what Fighter said that it's not as if Illini fans are significantly more down or harsh on him than fans of other teams. Recency bias is strong, and fans of other programs who didn't watch him as much as we did his freshman year would seem to be more inclined to remember the "down" sophomore year rather than the promising freshman year.

 

[skyIdub]

Let's engage in a creative writing exercise shall we?

Let's say your basketball team has a literal phenom on it. He's off-the-charts in some respects. He is good for a handful of highlight plays each and every game. But because he's so gifted, he refuses to run set plays and responds poorly to coaching. In his mind, basketball is art, it's jazz, it needs to breathe and be organic. But when he's making it up on the fly and ignoring what his coaches and teammates want and expect him to do, he's impossible to play with. His unpredictability is a double-edged sword. Opponents can't stop him; his own teammates can't figure out how to play with him. So teammates are in the wrong place at the wrong time, they fumble passes, and they stand around, wondering if they'll have the chance to participate on this possession.

Last year was different. The phenom had someone who could hold him accountable. Someone whose skill, personality, and drive phenom respected. Someone who could be a big brother to him. But big brother isn't around any more. And with a new group of young players coming in next year, our coaches can't have an upperclassman modeling disregard for coaching and lack of team-mindedness. Phenom thinks the grass could be greener elsewhere. That he'll be better appreciated somewhere else. It's time for phenom to find out for himself how much of this is due to deficiencies in the system. Maybe later on he'll recognize personal and professional growth could be a part of the picture. Maybe he won't.

Either way, a change of scenery could be good for all involved.

 

[Kenny67]

If that was the case I feel even more sad for him. Apparently he or no one around him realized the extent of his injuries and symptoms. Just think about it, they put him back on the court for a few games before they sat him out again and how many times after he got back out there did we see him get his head hit again. We were all waiting to see if he would go down again. We all have seen concussions end careers. I think this is a teachable moment for coaches and players alike. A lot more caution needs to be exercised with these types of injuries. Whatever people think of Curbelo they need to remember the saying walk ten miles in a man's moccasins before you judge him.

Andre missed 14 games. Plenty of coaches and medical people were around trying to figure out the extent of Andre's condition. Andre was not the same that is for sure. I hope he reounds back to his former self. My take is Andre my not be that coachable. Plus in consistency at point guard is not good.

 

[Illinoise]

I will miss watching him play, as aggravating as it could be at times, it could also be breathtaking. He strikes me as a kid who wants to be coach able but gets on the floor and just can’t control himself. Hope he gets it all figured out.

 

[Warren Carter Fanclub]

To those who are critical of a college fan base who on occasion calls out a player on different forms of social media including sites such as this:

The outrage of criticizing an 18 or 19 year old kid, in my opinion, does not exactly hold true anymore. If you are to enter a level of play that allows you to take unlimited yearly transfers, and NIL's which put money in your pocket, you better put your big boy pants on. You can't have it both ways.

This is not to say that these attacks should be personal. I don't condone that. However, if it is critical of a person's style of play, so be it.

I think you can not like a player's style of play but still be a die hard fan of that team.

 

[madcrazeeballa]

This makes me incredibly sad, but I'll be following whatever team he goes to and hoping he has nothing but success going forward.

 

[CubIllini]

delete

 

[Justen time]

If you asked me to pick between keeping Coleman or Curbelo, I would take Coleman probably 100% of the time. Coleman just fits in better with where we want to go as a roster.

Andre's regression as a shooter this year was very concerning..

100% agree….Coleman has a lot more to offer and if he stays which I really hope he does and puts his work in he is going to have a good year next year….believe it! He can handle the rock, his defense is spot on, his feet move like a small, he gains confidence there aren’t many people that will be able to match up with him!

 

[Future Walk-On]

To those who are critical of a college fan base who on occasion calls out a player on different forms of social media including sites such as this:

The outrage of criticizing an 18 or 19 year old kid, in my opinion, does not exactly hold true anymore. If you are to enter a level of play that allows you to take unlimited yearly transfers, and NIL's which put money in your pocket, you better put your big boy pants on. You can't have it both ways.

This is not to say that these attacks should be personal. I don't condone that. However, if it is critical of a person's style of play, so be it.

I think you can not like a player's style of play but still be a die hard fan of that team.

I agree with all of this.
I just never understood @'ing a player on Twitter or commenting on their IG photo to let them know what you think. We pay Brad 5 million dollars to do that for us.

If they want to voluntarily go down the rabbit hole of a message board though...

 

[MannyBianco]

To those who are critical of a college fan base who on occasion calls out a player on different forms of social media including sites such as this:

The outrage of criticizing an 18 or 19 year old kid, in my opinion, does not exactly hold true anymore. If you are to enter a level of play that allows you to take unlimited yearly transfers, and NIL's which put money in your pocket, you better put your big boy pants on. You can't have it both ways.

This is not to say that these attacks should be personal. I don't condone that. However, if it is critical of a person's style of play, so be it.

I think you can not like a player's style of play but still be a die hard fan of that team.

I agree with you. Criticism shouldn’t be personal, but if these young men (not kids) choose to enter this arena, they should be prepared to face negative comments about job performance. Many young men their age are working harder jobs for less compensation, and are expected to tolerate some negative feedback.

 

[hooraybeer]

our vocal minority of supposed "illini" fans that personally attack our own players/recruits on social media are annoying as ****. saw someone tweet something like "curbelo>>>>>skyy"... like why? what does this accomplish? curbelo is already gone, skyy isn't even committed yet and people are already finding ways to put him down.

 

[alaskaillini]

For what it’s worth, I asked some friends from multiple other B10 schools if they would want him as their starting PG and the answer was a resounding no.

If you are judging him by this year that may be the answer now. But what would the answer have been at the end of last year of the beginning of this year - a resounding yes.
So, the question is what was the impact of the concussion, and will he return to his former self as a basketball player? concussions can cause all manner of neurological effects - change in personality, etc. So how loyal are you to a guy that has been injured in the line of duty so to speak? I don't see the quality of his play this year as determinative of the answer for that question under these circumstances, and any fan that isn't intimately involved with the program that thinks they know enough to express an opinion on that issue is being disingenuous, especially if it is based upon his play this year. Just my opinion.

 

[the juiceman cometh]

our vocal minority of supposed "illini" fans that personally attack our own players/recruits on social media are annoying as ****. saw someone tweet something like "curbelo>>>>>skyy"... like why? what does this accomplish? curbelo is already gone, skyy isn't even committed yet and people are already finding ways to put him down.

And the same to former players as well. AC got a few obnoxious comments on his transfer tweet and AM still gets them from Illini fans whenever he tweets. I know every fanbase does it, but of we could manage to be the best fanbase at not doing it, I guarantee that would help sell our school as a destination to players. I know, it's a fantasy, but at least it's a nice one.

 

[Aldy1955]

Totally agree, unfortunately.

But, as has been said already, the portal taketh and the portal giveth.

Well said Fred

 

[Roundball Sage]

To those who are critical of a college fan base who on occasion calls out a player on different forms of social media including sites such as this:

The outrage of criticizing an 18 or 19 year old kid, in my opinion, does not exactly hold true anymore. If you are to enter a level of play that allows you to take unlimited yearly transfers, and NIL's which put money in your pocket, you better put your big boy pants on. You can't have it both ways.

This is not to say that these attacks should be personal. I don't condone that. However, if it is critical of a person's style of play, so be it.

So one big narrative going is that fan's public criticism of a player is enough (or at least a big factor) in his wanting to move on. That's a tough argument to make.

The place he's going... aren't there fans there too? And maybe impatient ones? And keyboard warriors who just wait for someone to screw up so that some kind of outrage can be publicly made? People are people. Fans are fans. You can't get away from them. And there is no place one can go to avoid criticism.

The best way to avoid criticism? SUCCEED. That's what you as a player want. That's what your fans want.

And as for criticism itself, there's a bad narrative these days going around that ANY criticism is bad. That is false. There is such a thing as CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. And a player is going to get both useful and useless criticism. The player must be strong and selective enough to stand up to both kinds. And learn from both kinds.

With Curbelo, this was a marriage that just wasn't going to work anymore. Either from his side, the Illini side, or both. He will take his Illini experience with him as a personal growth achievement and fine tune his considerable skills in a fresh environment.

Things didn't work out maybe the way many Illini fans had hoped. But the attempt was made. The results are in. And both the Illini and Curbelo can turn this into a Win-Win situation for both parties.