INDIANAPOLIS — Andre Curbelo played himself out of Friday’s Big Ten tournament quarterfinal game against Rutgers.
Two quick first-half fouls took him out before he had a chance to develop much of a rhythm.
No concern existed about a repeat in Saturday’s semifinal game against Iowa.
Zero. Illinois coach Brad Underwood didn’t even consider it.
“Not with him,” Underwood said. “He’s an alpha. He’s different. He’s wired to be great all the time and understands that stuff happens in the course of the game (where) you may not be your best. Next game. He’s just got that. It’s really positive to see.”
Hitting the “next game” button worked for Curbelo in the Illini’s 82-71 win against the Hawkeyes. The Illinois freshman guard established his presence early — two dunks will do that — and finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.
“I’m not that kind of guy that’s going to praise myself, but I’ve come a long way for this moment,” Curbelo said. “It feels great to be in this kind of moment and being able to help the team win. I was just out there hooping and having fun and just proud of what I’ve done so far. Obviously, without my teammates and the trust the coaching staff has in me I would not be able to do it. I was just out there being myself and really happy and really proud. But the job’s not finished. We’ve got one more to go.”
★★★
Curbelo said he considered Friday’s missteps a learning experience. It wasn’t a first this season, and he treated it like all the others. Come out strong the next game.
An extra push came from sixth-year guard Tyler Underwood. Curbelo has leaned on the veteran Illini throughout the season. That didn’t change going into Saturday’s game.
“I came in mentally prepared,” Curbelo said. “I had Tyler Underwood on my (butt), too. He does that all the time. Having him on the team is just special as well. I learn from him a lot. He’s always talking to me and making sure I’m good.”
Brad Underwood has seen that relationship between Curbelo and his son develop all season long.
“Tyler does a great job,” Brad Underwood said. “Tyler’s got a coach’s mind for a young guy. He’s going to be a terrific coach some day — probably to his mother’s chagrin. The one thing is he understands our system. He’s been around it. He’s still in practice every day practicing. He knows what I’m trying to get across. Dre has really embraced that. It’s nice to have somebody help lead you through that. They’ve got a special bond.”
★★★
Curbelo’s pair of first-half dunks were part of 10 for Illinois against Iowa. That most of them came from Kofi Cockburn wasn’t exactly a surprise. The sophomore center leads the country.
But Cockburn wasn’t surprised that Curbelo got up in transition twice.
“I’m never surprised with anything Andre does,” Cockburn said. “Everything he does, I expect it from him. I know what kind of player he is. Whenever he does something spectacular, I expect it from him because that’s the kind of player he is.”
★★★
Cockburn spent most of Saturday’s game battling Iowa center Luka Garza. The Illinois big man described his history of matchups with the now two-time Big Ten Player of the Year as “hectic.”
“He’s a great player,” Cockburn said. “I respect the hell out of him. It’s about coming out there and competing — throwing punches and getting punched. It’s about being aggressive and doing what you’ve got to do for your team.”
Underwood pulled Garza aside after Saturday’s game and shared a quick word with him. The Illinois coach said he praised Garza for how hard he works and how competitive he is.
“He is one heck of a college basketball player,” Underwood said. “I have so much admiration for guys who aren’t ballyhooed and five stars and this and that. I watched him play in AAU, and all of a sudden now he’s the national player of the year and probably will be for a second time. I knew he was going to be special in the first game his freshman year. I think he had 19 or 20 against us.”
★★★
Garza had 21 points in Saturday’s game. Not that Cockburn made it easy for him.
“The first couple games I played against him I kind of gave him angles and giving him angles to the basket,” Cockburn said. “(Assistant coach Chin Coleman), he had mentioned earlier in the season if you force him to score through you and he scores it, well, good job. You pat him and you run to the offensive end.
“I just walled up and forced him to score through me. He got some angled shots, but for the most part I think I did a really good job of making him score through me and always put a body on him.”
Iowa was limited in what it could to against Cockburn with Garza really the only big man option given Jack Nunge’s season-ending knee injury in February. Josh Ogundele played one minute off the bench at the end of the first half, and his final stat line included just a single foul.
“You really like to have another big,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. “We put Josh in there. He was fine for the minute he was in there. (Cockburn is) such a handful, and we were so worried about Luka getting in foul trouble.”
★★★
Illinois finished with 22 assists on 32 made shots in Saturday’s win. Junior guard Ayo Dosunmu led the way with nine assists, while senior guard Trent Frazier had five. Three from Curbelo and two more from Adam Miller rounded out the Illini with multiple assists.
Many of those assists led to points in the paint from Cockburn.
“The quality of moving the ball around is really important,” Cockburn said. “We emphasize that. Elevating each other. Giving up a good shot for a great shot. I’ve got winners on my team, man. When they see something working for them, they keep going to it. I give props to guys like Ayo and Trent, the veterans, just knowing how to win and knowing what it feels like. When they see something working for them — like me getting the ball in the post and scoring — they keep going to it.”
★★★
Rebounding was a team effort in Saturday’s win, too. Illinois outrebounded Iowa 42-35 and did so with six players hauling in at least two. Da’Monte Williams had a team-high nine rebounds, and the Illini guards combined for 25 of the team’s 42.
“It wins,” Underwood said. “Everybody’s got to be a champion or a star in their role. It’s maximizing individual ability. Da’Monte is a terrific rebounder. So is Curbelo from the guard spot. … It’s a constant theme in terms of our effort and what we do. That’s something we’ve got to continue.”
SCOTT RICHEY
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