What could have been without a scrambled brain for 3 months. Alas, love you, Belo. St. John’s will be fun to watch next season.
Andre Curbelo transfers to St. John's
Goillinikobd
- Southeastern US
Relatively new to this board. Has there ever been another transfer that caused so much agony, hand wringing, acrimony, regret, all at the same time?
What was it about him that was so whatever……
What was it about him that was so whatever……
BMoreIllini
- Baltimore, MD
You're going to have a tough time here if you think there was a lot of agony and hand wringing over the Curbelo transfer. Lol
There are instances of scorn that are over a decade old that are referenced weekly. (IDKWTI and Cliffmas come to mind lol)
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Not sure - Adam Miller's transfer produced an awful lots of hand-wringing last year. But we're (like every team in the country) going to deal with this type of situation every year. Three transfers out this year with two more weeks to enter the portal.
DICKnaggie
- Champaign
I mean, the guy was all over the place this year? Generally, I think folks here are super supportive of him and his future endevours, but it was clear that there was tension between AC and the coaches later in the season, as well as players, at times last season. He was given a ton room to grow that last two years.
Alot of what you are describing has to do with the board parsing out how much of his on court performance had to do with his injuries. Nobody really knows. What we do know is that he expressed in a pre/post game news conference that he was a player that took risks and he was going to keep doing that regardless. That didn't work out so well for the team, this year overall. He also didn't hit shots at the clip he did the previous year. Moreover, before the Houston game he apparently got into it with the refs and then got into it with the coaches during half-time resulting in him not seeing the floor again. I think everyone is mostly just in the dark, hopeful for his future, but unsure of what that will be. I love the guy and wish him the best, but the chicken sandwhich eating press conference where he basically said he was going to do whatever he wanted to do was a headscratcher.
AC was just in Champaign playing with the team this week and in less than 48 hours committed to St. Johns. Make of that what you may.
It's simple. he was capable of the highest highs and the lowest lows. Some people cling to those highs and say just imagine what he could be when he gets it all together. Others cling to the lows and say, he hurts us more than he helps us, regardless how fantastic the highs are. We're better off without him.
Me personally, I think he can really only succeed in a selfish way. He's not a good shooter. He's not big enough to be a slasher, he succeeds in the craziest way. He is able to zig and zag until he finds himself wide open for a layup. Awesome. The problem, the rest of the team is trying to figure out what they're supposed to do while he's dribbling. They don't know when to be ready for an amazing pass or crash for a rebound. It is a difficult way to play for everyone else and led to too many turnovers and bad shots. However, the thought of if he ever puts it all together still holds true. If that happens he could be a monster.
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Now that Curbelo plays for another school and won’t be at ubben, those IMPE runs on the good court are gonna be sick.
Wish you the best Belo and thank you for all your hardwork, dedication and great memories.
I am a big fan of Andre...Marcus Lovett was a guy I really wanted that St John's got. Both of thes guys are/were special....
I still have my Andre Curbelo T shirt and will wear it proudly (wearing the orange and Blue version)
I still have my Andre Curbelo T shirt and will wear it proudly (wearing the orange and Blue version)
I'm going to keep rooting for the dude to make the next leap and make the best of his career. He made some plays the last two years that gave us two banners, some that made us cringe and also some that I'll personally never forget for the sheer audacity of them.
El Mago definitely kept us entertained, like a legend does.
El Mago definitely kept us entertained, like a legend does.
El Mago = Javy
I'm a die hard iIllini fan, alumnus and current student. My gratitude to the players who carried themselves with class and gave 110 percent. Belo is one of those players. He wasn't alright all season after he slammed his head diving for a ball.
He suffered multiple head hits (hard picks, elbows, falls) afterwards and Covid. But as a fanbase we wanted the "old" Belo. Please continue to support him and appreciate what he was part of (2 BIG banners).
*No shde intended for original poster,
Headscratcher is putting it mildly. Lost a lot of respect for him as a team player after listening to that interview.
It was said by several "insiders" that Belo's off the court immaturity and decision making was more of a factor than his on court issues. It makes you wonder what he was struggling with. I wish him the best as he'll always be an Illini and thank him for the contributions he made while here.
Tacomallini
- Washington State
the chicken sandwich that will live in infamy
Anytime a team gets a guy with a ton of upside, then that player struggles, you're going to see a good chunk of fans grousing. Not trying to defend the critics here, just saying that's how sports work.
Hope he returns to full health --college basketball is better off with players like him.