Michigan Basketball: Spike Albrecht's Toughness Leaving Lasting Impact at U-M

Spike Albrecht doesn’t care about personal stats. The Michigan junior doesn’t track his own numbers, he only monitors team wins.

He doesn’t care about being noticed, either. His priorities far exceed those of personal gratification. He’s 5’11” and 175 pounds of heart and soul, highly coachable, team-first and me-last—or in other terms, a coach’s dream.

Albrecht’s qualities often go overshadowed, as he shares the floor with abundant talent. It’s easy to get overlooked when you play next to superior athletes such as Caris LeVert , Derrick Walton Jr. and Zak Irvin. 

However, skipping past the blond kid isn’t always wise, just ask the Louisville Cardinals, who got a healthy dose of the scraggly haired freshman in the 2013 national title game before winning, 82-76.

Coach Rick Pitino probably didn’t think Albrecht would bust loose for 17 points and hit four of five from three-point range. The guys guarding Albrecht probably didn’t either.

More recently, Albrecht has emerged as one of coach John Beilein’s key players, not just a plug-in guy who can produce on short notice. Now a mainstay, Albrecht has all but taken control since LeVert and Walton suffered season-ending injuries back in January.

He’s scored at least 10 points in the past six games, often doubling his season average of 6.8. His value can’t be denied. If not for his pair of crucial and timely threes, the Wolverines—who were without Walton Jr.—wouldn’t have forced Michigan State into overtime on Feb. 1. Michigan lost, 76-66, but Albrecht’s season-high 18 points prompted hope on the road.

He scored 12 points during Michigan’s 80-67 loss Feb. 17 to the Spartans—but again, things would have been much worse had Albrecht not taken the leap forward.

Those were certainly two of his better offerings.

But then this past Sunday came along, and that showing of left-handed high-glass layups, gutsy dives toward loose balls, lockdown defense and raw emotion probably topped them all.

Even the 17 points versus Louisville.

But Albrecht wouldn’t brag or boast about it. He wouldn’t beat his chest, either, although he had to know that he almost single-handedly dismantled Goliath.  Steve Kornacki of MGoBlue wanted to know if Albrecht considered that a best-ever moment.

At the moment, the thought hadn’t even crossed Albrecht’s mind.

“I think that’s for you guys to decide—I don’t know,” Albrecht said with a laugh and a smile. He also had several unexplained blood stains scattered along the bottom of his un-tucked jersey. “I don’t really pay attention to any of it. We got the win. I wasn’t going to let us lose that game. I did not want to lose that game. And that’s all I was thinking about out there.”

Albrecht’s mentality of "hit the floor now and ask questions later," not to mention his selfless nature, is one of the reasons why the Wolverines (14-13, 7-8 Big Ten) haven’t totally bitten the dust this season.

“There was a lot of pride on the line,” he said.

Albrecht has earned his stripes, one floor burn, one bruise and one elbow to the face at a time. He's one of the scrappiest players in the Big Ten, and he's easily one of the most determined and energetic to play for John Beilein at Michigan. 

Back during the 2013 national tournament, the Detroit Free Press' Mick McCabe quoted former Michigan standout Jon Horford saying that "Spike is loved," which probably sums up the way most of the Wolverines feel about Albrecht.  

People have been singing his praise for three years; however, recent recognition from an injured star teammate says it all. The simple compliment carries weight, especially since it comes from a player who led Michigan in scoring before being sidelined with a broken left foot. 

He wasn't supposed to evolve into one of Michigan's leading men. Likewise, he certainly wasn't supposed to become the general this season, either. But none of that matters to Albrecht, who's continuously beaten the odds and outplayed those who are perceived as far superior athletes. 

He's always played as if he had nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

"Coming out of high school I didn't get many looks," he said in 2013, according to McCabe. "To be honest, I always thought I was a little bit better than the offers I was getting."

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and references were obtained firsthand by the writer via press conference, press release or other media availability. Stats were collected from ESPN/UMGoBlue player bios.