Champaign, Ill. — Bench Curbelo is back in business.
A season ago, Andre Curbelo averaged 9.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game despite not starting a single game. As a result, Curbelo was named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year.
Some of Curbelo’s best games included a near triple double against Nebraska in February 2021 and an outstanding performance during the Big Ten Championship run in March.
Over the offseason, the Illini lost Adam Miller to the transfer portal and Ayo Dosunmu to the NBA Draft, leaving the starting lineup wide open for Curbelo to jump in.