The hunt for a second primary ball handler on the 2020-21 roster continues for Indiana.
We first brought Andre Curbelo to your attention a couple weeks ago in The Daily Hoosier Report when a national 247Sports article identified IU’s interest in the Puerto Rico native.
With the recruitment of other top targets such as Caleb Love and RJ Davis getting more and more competitive, it’s time to take a closer look at Curbelo.
Rated as the No. 8 point guard nationally in the 2020 class according to the 247Sports Composite, Curbelo plays high school basketball at Long Island Lutheran — the same program that produced current IU guard Devonte Green.
The 6-foot Curbelo averaged 16.2 points, 8.1 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 4.1 steals per game to lead Long Island Lutheran to the New York state federation Class AA Tournament of Champions title according to Max Preps.
A point guard in the truest sense, Curbelo has been among the leaders in assists on the Adidas Gauntlet AAU circuit throughout the spring and summer.
Overall during AAU play, Curbelo has averaged 16.7 points per game while shooting 52.9% from the field for the New York Jayhawks. He has only attempted 14 three-pointers in 15 games, making three.
Curbelo has added 5.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 turnovers and 1.3 steals per contest on the Adidas circuit.
After a particularly strong showing at the Adidas Summer Championships last weekend, a national 247Sports report gave this evaluation of Curbelo:
There might not be a more impressive passer in the class of 2020 than Curbelo. The native of Puerto Rico simply sees things on the court that most point guards don’t, and then not only does he see things, but he is also able to make the pass. Curbelo isn’t an elite athlete with elite burst, but he does have a major ability to get into the lane, and he is so adept at changing speeds that he keeps defenders off balance. He shoots it well enough to keep people honest, but it is his feel for the game and playmaking ability that stand out at the highest level. Curbelo is one of the more mature floor generals, and someone who should be a staple in a college backcourt for a long time to come.
Curbelo is ranked No. 59 overall in the 2020 class according to the 247Sports Composite. He has dozens of Division One offers including Louisville, St. John’s, Illinois, Texas Tech, Pittsburgh, Florida, Providence and West Virginia.
It remains to be seen whether Indiana will more formally enter the mix with an offer.
Curbelo has told the recruiting services that he will discuss recruiting with his family in August and then start scheduling visits in September.
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