Illinois guard Andre Curbelo entered the men’s basketball transfer portal on Monday, ending a frustrating season for the sophomore.
Curbelo appeared in the portal shortly before releasing a statement on Twitter.
“Illini Nation … where do I begin?” he wrote. “These past two years have been insane. So many amazing moments and some hard times that we had to battle through. I am so thankful I could be a part of this program. Without my teammates and staff, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all of [the] things that I did personally & that WE did collectively. I’m thankful that I was a part of two amazing teams here at the University of Illinois & for the relationships I have made. I’m thankful for all of the support from The Orange Krush, you all were my energy and the reason I never stopped pushing.
“Unfortunately, my time here at the UIUC has come to an end & I have decided to enter the transfer portal.”
After averaging 9.1 points and 4.2 assists as a freshman, Curbelo entered his sophomore campaign as a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection. But he suffered a concussion in an exhibition game in late October, and ended up missing 14 of the team’s first 18 games because of concussion-related issues.
When Curbelo returned at full strength, he didn’t have nearly the same impact he made as a freshman. Over the final 13 games of the season, Curbelo averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 assists and 2.6 turnovers. He played just 10 minutes in Illinois’ second-round NCAA tournament loss to Houston.
Overall, Curbelo averaged 7.5 points and 3.2 assists during the 2021-22 season, shooting 32.9% from the field.