BTN.com staff, December 11, 2015
Michigan's Spike Albrecht is done with basketball after the senior guard announced Friday will concentrate on rehabilitation after his bilateral hip surgery last summer.
In a release from the school Friday morning, Albrecht said, "This has been the toughest decision I have ever had to make."
The two-time captain played in 115 career games for the Wolverines and was Michigan's co-MVP last season after starting 18 of 31 games and posting a career-best 7.5 points per game.
As a freshman, he played in all 39 games and helped Michigan reach the Final Four for the first time in 20 years as well as tie the school-record 31 wins.
His surprising 17-point performance in the national title game against Louisville was "straight out of a storybook," as Michigan coach John Beilein said Friday.
But the hip surgery recovery and his long-term health come first now for Albrecht.
It looks like @SpikeAlbrecht surprised even himself on this amazing play - but he still made the shot. https://t.co/tAeYVyTVk6
— Michigan On BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) December 11, 2015
"After taking a hard look at what is best for me, and this team, I will be stepping away from the game that has meant so much to me," he said.
"I am so thankful for what Coach Beilein, the assistants and the medical staff have done for me during my career and in particular over the last year while I was dealing with this injury. I just have a little more to go and I really need to take the proper time to finish my rehab.
"This has been an agonizing decision for Spike, especially at this juncture of the season," Beilein said. "He has done so much to get back to this point, but his long-term health is what is most important now and in the future. We want only the best for Spike."
So @SpikeAlbrecht made a lot of pretty plays. This was definitely one of them. https://t.co/Xf8Mk09G4k
— Michigan On BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) December 11, 2015
Here are a few more nice plays from Albrecht:
***
***
***