In the latest update for the class of 2020 recruiting, Indiana has offered PG Andre Curbelo from Long Island Lutheran (NY), the same school that produced current Indiana senior Devonte Green. The Puerto Rico native adds an offer from Indiana on top of offers from nearly 35 other schools and has no timetable yet on his decision. He currently holds offers from major Division-I schools including Illinois, Louisville, St. Johns, West Virginia, Florida, Kansas, and Oregon. He has yet to decide on the five schools he will officially visit.

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4-Star Power Point Guard, 6-0, 155 pounds
  • Teams: Long Island Lutheran / Puerto Rican National Team / NY Jayhawks U17
  • Composite Rating: 0.9796
  • Composite Ranking:  No. 52 Overall, No. 7th PG, and No. 1 Puerto Rico
  • Offered: September 5, 2019
  • Other Schools Offered:  Illinois, Louisville, St. Johns, West Virginia, Florida, Kansas, Oregon & more

This offer is the latest in one of the busier weeks of the off-season for the Indiana basketball staff. Archie and the rest of the coaches are continuing to push for a strong class of 2020. The recent commitment of 4-star Jordan Geronimo to Indiana and 4-star Matt Cross to Miami (FL) the following day has made it a much clearer picture on what the Hoosiers roster will look like for 2020. Indiana still holds one spot for a scholarship spot for 2020. Archie is still needing another big man or true point guard to complement the other recruits he has already secured.

Per Inside the Hall, assistant coaches Tom Ostrom and new assistant coach Mike Roberts have both been involved in the recruitment of Andre Curbelo. Archie has been as well as of late. It is interesting to note that Andre Curbelo and Devonte Green both went to the same high school. However, they did not know each other well during their time together at school.

As the last of his offers start to come in, expect there to be updates on which schools pique his interest most and where he decides to have an official visit. Family and logistics mean a lot to Andre as he and his family are in Puerto Rico and this will likely play a role in his decision.

Breaking Down Andre Curbelo’s Game

Andre Curbelo is a crafty and athletic point guard for his high school team at Long Island Lutheran. Standing at 6-foot and 155 pounds, he is built like an average guard but has the explosiveness and skill level to play beyond those metrics.

Curbelo is a tremendous ball handler at the point guard position. When dribbling, he keeps the ball close to his body and out of reach from defenders. He can split double teams while attacking to the rim and can back out of trapping defenders to get the ball to his open teammate. In fast break situations, he is not sporadic with the ball and this aids him in making the right decision while running the break.

Curbelo displays great vision while driving to the basket. He can thread the ball into his teammate’s current path leading them to a scoring opportunity. His craftiness enables him to show off with no looks and flashy passes adding some flare to his game.

Getting to the rim is a strong asset of Curbelo’s game. He shoots right handed, but is exceptional at using both hands when dribbling to get into the paint on both sides of the lane. He can drive through contact and finish his layups using the finger roll as a weapon in his arsenal. While driving hard into the lane, he can stop and pull up with a floater, avoiding taller defenders.

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Curbelo frequently utilizes pick-and-rolls to create space and make an easy basket. He will use his screen to create confusion for his defenders, not knowing where he is truly going to go. Curbelo can come off the screen and pull up in the mid-range game effectively or can go away from the screen leading to a wide open lane for him to finish with a basket.

Along with his mid-range shooting, Curbelo can step up and hit three point shots when needed. His form stays close to his body and he puts plenty of rotation on the ball giving it a high chance of going in. In addition, he has a solid base in his jump shot, keeping his feet shoulder-width apart and his shoulders towards the basket.

Defensively, Curbelo has a high basketball IQ putting him in the right place at the right time. He has instincts of knowing where his opponent is going to take the ball next. He uses his quickness and agility to jump in front of passing lanes, intercepting the ball and transitioning to a quick basket off the steal.

While on ball defending, Curbelo’s uses his quick hands to take the ball from his opponents mid-dribble. Many of his steals come off of his opponents’ crossovers because they will put the ball too far out in front of them leading to Curbelo’s instincts to kick in. One problem that could occur at the next level is if he reaches in too often against ball handlers he can find himself in early foul trouble.

Curbelo is a solid overall point guard with tremendous potential with collegiate coaching. He has a strong foundation on both ends of the floor and his ceiling can get even higher this upcoming season before he begins his collegiate career.

It will be interesting to see how Curbelo plays at the next level where he will be competing against stronger and experienced defenders. He has been able to test his skill set through multiple teams including LuHi, the Puerto Rican national team and NY Jayhawks.

Photo Credit: Gregory Payan / AP Photo