artds

April 6th, 2012 at 9:46 AM ^

Good stuff. The kid is legit. PG won't be the strength of our team like last year, but with morgan, hardaway, horford and vogrich returning, and mcgary, robinson and stauskas coming in, it wont need to be.

Also, judging by his film, he looks to be a near-100% 3-point shooter.

moredamnsound

April 6th, 2012 at 2:59 AM ^

It's not bad to see an upside. I think it's awesome to see what could be. At ND in '11 I envisioned the Denard TD before the half, I was ccol during the entire Under the Lights expericence, and I was confiident during the Sugar Bowl. It's contagious, be confident and others will folllow, and that's what the fanbase needs, a littel confidence. Keep doing what you're doing, especially if you're spectating.

jmblue

April 6th, 2012 at 10:52 AM ^

Two solid freshman PGs in January?  Who was the other one?  Brundidge?  That's a reach.

You could argue that he felt that Stauskas could fill the Douglass role as a 2 who occasionally handles the ball, though.

aaamichfan

April 6th, 2012 at 11:12 AM ^

I love how in the course of this ordeal, Brundidge has somehow morphed into this guy who was an All-B10 PG who played a ton of minutes last year. The reason he's leaving is because the coaching staff likely told him he wasn't ever going to fit well within the scheme. 

SamIam

April 6th, 2012 at 1:32 PM ^

this signing is really a perfect solution in all cases.  Depth or a starter to fill in until next years class comes. Plus he will not initially threaten the incoming guys belief in their potential playing time.

WolvinLA2

April 6th, 2012 at 1:59 PM ^

No, but the 2012 rcruiting class was wrapped up before the season started, and before the season started I think Beilein probably felt that both Burke and Brundidge would be (a) capable guards who could run the point, and (b) around for their sophomore seasons.  Since we had a PG already committed in the 2013 class, I can understand why he felt the PG spot was filled up. 

As of about 3-4 months ago, most people felt we were set at PG for a while, and it was only about a month ago that anyone felt that Burke bailing was a possibility.

johnvand

April 6th, 2012 at 6:28 AM ^

As of the end of March, 2011 our 2012 -13 guard situation looked like: Darius Morris (Sr.), Trey Burke (So.), Carlton Brundidge (So.), Nick Stauskas (Fr.).  Plus only one available schollarship they were holding for McGary.

Also, the 2013 - 14 guard situation looke like:  Trey Burke (Jr.), Carlton Brundidge (Jr.), Nick Stauskas (Fr.), Zac Irvin (Fr.), Darrick Walton (Fr.).

A lot can change in 12 months, and you're left scrambling.  Such is college basketball.

MN Go Blue

April 5th, 2012 at 10:41 PM ^

Adding a PG this late is big for next year.  I am sure there will be growing pains, but adding a player like this is another piece that could contribute.

yoyo

April 5th, 2012 at 10:43 PM ^

Beilein will make use of Albrecht and doesn't need super athletic point guards to have success.  He proved that with Merrit and Lee and he'll do it again with this kid.  He has a solid shot and good passing skills while lacking in athletic ability.  That sounds like a typical Beilein PG.  Besides, the other 4 will be the most talented he's had at Michigan.

MichiganMan14

April 6th, 2012 at 1:36 AM ^

Spike is being brought in because he is a player. I hope that is the reason. I don't think that we can afford to bring non elite pgs....unless we are content with being good not great. It's not fair to judge the kid because he isn't here yet. im going to assume he can do what trey can do or else we are wasting our time.

Naked Bootlegger

April 6th, 2012 at 9:09 AM ^

Merritt and Lee were not lights-out athletically-gifted PG's, but they ran the offense effectively, hit a few key shots, and helped us into the tourney for the 1st time since the Ed Martin-induced Dark Ages.   Albrecht can safely be classified as a "non-elite" PG in the recruiting circles, just as Merritt and Lee were.   That doesn't mean he won't be effective under JB's tutelage and in JB's offense. 

Welcome to the team, Spike.   We can definitely utilize your skills ASAP.

bmdubs

April 6th, 2012 at 5:39 AM ^

I'll take a guy who is 6'1 and known for taking care of the ball.

So now what do people think of Nik Stauskus's potential at PG? Wouldn't it be kinda nice to have a guy that could play a backup role reliably to provide depth that wouldn't leave for the NBA? (Who imagined that this would be a problem five years ago?)

Better yet, he could prove himself to be a solid PG and present a unique look because of his length that couldn't possibly hurt our defensive numbers.  And when more reinforcements come in at the PG position he'll still find himself out on the floor at a more natural position once the logjam for minutes clears up. 

I don't know I'm just thinking way too much about all the possibilities and staying happy about how awesome our program is becoming. It is pretty late now though haha

denardogasm

April 5th, 2012 at 10:45 PM ^

As long as he knows how to complete both a chest pass and a bounce pass I'm happy.  One point guard is better than zero point guards.  Big men win championships in college.  Unless your team makes its living off the three ball... and your 3 best 3 point shooters didn't just live... shit...

PurpleStuff

April 5th, 2012 at 10:54 PM ^

Our 2nd best ball handler just graduated and the freshman guard who might be able to play the point down the road just transferred. 

I don't have any insight into Trey's decision, but it makes sense to take Albrecht whether he stays or not.  This tells us nothing on its own.

mackbru

April 6th, 2012 at 1:16 PM ^

It's not a foregone conclusion. If Burke were sure about entering the draft, he would have done so already. Most early entries have already made the move. Burke, by this point, must have a fairly good idea of where he's likely to be drafted. But he's still on the fence. 

The addition of Spike says nothing about Burke's status. Brundidge, by transferring, left the team without a scholarship PG behind Burke. Had Burke committed to stay another year, Beilein still would have signed Spike as a back-up PG.  

Coldwater

April 5th, 2012 at 10:56 PM ^

With all the other weak-ass offers the kid had, it's no wonder he'd jump at the chance to play at Michigan. It's like a fairy tale for him.