Recapping 2012 Commit Spike Albrecht

The latest addition to Michigan's 2012 class and one of the more unexpected commitments in recent years was Spike Albrecht.  At the time of his commitment, Michigan was in the middle of Trey Burke's decision on whether or not to enter the NBA Draft.  Most speculate that the decision to offer and sign Albrecht to Michigan's 2012 recruiting class was primarily an insurance move in case Burke decided to take his talents to the NBA.  While this is true and Burke decided to return for his sophomore year, Albrecht has a lot to offer to both this and future Michigan teams.

Albrecht is a very different type of point guard than Burke.  They are both smart players that can get others involved, but Albrecht primarily uses his high basketball IQ to move the ball and get others involved.  Burke uses his knowledge of the game, but he also uses his exception handle and athleticism to pass the ball and attack the basket.  Burke can also be reckless at times with the basketball, which is the complete opposite of Albrecht.  He very rarely turns over the ball and makes sure to avoid wasteful turnovers.  He is nowhere near the athlete of Burke and can struggle a bit with his defense, but he easily has the ability to run an offense and has the potential to grow into a solid point guard.

Here are the basic listings for Albrecht:

	ESPN	Rivals	Scout	247Sports
Height	6’1”	6’1”	6’0”	6’1”
Weight	178 lbs	180 lbs	180 lbs	180 lbs
Position	PG	PG	PG	PG
Rating	1*	3*	NR	NR
Position Rank	#112	NR	NR	NR
National Rank	NR	NR	NR	NR

Looking at the rankings on Albrecht will definitely leave some worried.  Not only is his highest ranking a 3* from Rivals, but he received a 1* from ESPN, who I believe has the best basketball rankings, and he wasn't even evaluated by Scout or 247.  According to the athletic site, Albrecht is 5'11" and weighs 170 lbs and I can say, if you ever see him walking around, he is not very big.  I don't think size will be a major factor since his biggest contribution this season will be a backup point guard, but it could definitely make it more challenging for him when he faces bigger point guards.

I had originally predicted that Albrecht would receive a redshirt this season and he would be given some time to develop, but after receiving some information and thinking about the situation, he will most likely play right away.  First, Michigan desperately needs someone to come off the bench to substitute for Burke.  He played an insane amount of minutes last season and if he has to repeat it, I think Michigan's lofty goals will be looking a lot darker.  Next, with Michigan's current recruiting situation, there aren't going to be a lot of chances for Albrecht to contribute as a starter, so why wait to attempt to develop him into a starter?

Where does that leave us for the 2012-2013 season?  Albrecht won't be getting a ton of time this year, but he will definitely be off the bench in just about every game and will probably get some crucial playing time.  I don't expect him to have any games with over 15 minutes, but he will probably run close to that in a few non-conference games when Beilein is looking to rest Burke.  Don't expect Albrecht to be a starter or the best bench player on the team, but he could be crucial in helping the team throughout a long season and toward its NCAA Tournament and Big Ten goals.

Here's his highlight video: