The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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BASKETBALL14-15 his playing time at shooting guard or small forward," this assessment notes. "But he's also capable of doing a good job of spelling Walton at point." Chatman is listed as Michigan's "Top Newcomer," and junior guard Spike Albrecht as someone to "Keep An Eye On." "Beilein is one of the country's top talent developers," Lindy's opines, "but will certainly have his work cut out for him." ❑ Sitting Down With Junior Point Guard Spike Albrecht Spike Albrecht went from a late signee in the John Beilein "special finds" discount box, to a national phenomenon in the first half of the national cham- pionship game his freshman season, to one of the Wolverines' elder statesmen leaders entering 2014-15. He's seen plenty in only two seasons of basketball in Ann Arbor and isn't ready for Michigan to take a step back. The Wolverine: What is there to like about this team after such heavy person- nel losses last spring? Albrecht: "I think people will have a lot to like with our freshmen and the versatility they bring. We have a lot of length and athleticism this year, and it's exciting to be a part of. "It's going to be an awesome night when we open the season. The fans have been great for us since I've been here, and we're looking forward to getting out there and playing in front of them. "That [trip to Italy] is what we needed with this year's team, because we have a lot of inexperienced guys, a lot of freshmen. Being able to get them accus- tomed to being out there playing real games, then having the opportunity to come back here and evaluate what we need to improve on before we head into the regular season was a huge advantage." The Wolverine: What sort of personal strides did you feel like you made over the course of the offseason? Albrecht: "I focused on continuing to develop my body. I also continued to work on my offensive game, trying to stretch defenses with my shooting and things of that nature." The Wolverine: John Beilein said you and fellow junior Caris LeVert have taken charge of this team. Talk a little about what that entails. Albrecht: "When I was a freshman, a lot of guys took me under their wing, whether in drills or in practices. They showed what the coach expects of you and how to go about your business off the court. It could be something as simple as making sure you show up to practice 10 or 15 minutes early. "Then, you're not in there looking sleepy-eyed. That kind of thing drives the coaches nuts. "Both Caris and myself are a little more mellow, kind of shy. But when we talk,