ATLANTA — Spike Albrecht nearly became one of the most unlikely heroes the college basketball world has ever seen. Michigan’s 5-foot-11, 170-pound freshman from Indiana came off the bench for Trey Burke to score all 17 of his points in the first half, electrifying the Georgia Dome with four straight 3s and scaring the heck out of Louisville.
“That was probably back to high school days,” Albrecht said after Louisville 82, Michigan 76. “Trey with two fouls, Coach [John] Beilein doesn’t play guys with two fouls in the first half, so I knew I was in the rest of the half, and I was just fortunately hitting shots, teammates were finding me.”
Beillein found Albrecht out of Northfield Mt. Hermon Prep (Mass.) at a time when no one else was very much interested.
“First off, I’d just like to say thanks to Coach Beilein for giving me this opportunity,” Albrecht said. “A year ago I didn’t have anyone looking at me. He took a chance on me. It’s something I’ll never forget. But when he recruited me, he told me, he said, ‘We’re here to win championships,’ so I wasn’t surprised that we got here. That’s been the goal since day one. As far as my performance, when I go out there I’m confidfent so … that’s about it.”