Purdue had to have a guard this spring … again.
In a perfect world for the Boilermaker program, this will be the last late recruiting period in which it needs to add a player to its backcourt, but such is life when the same position busts out in back-to-back recruiting classes, as happened for Purdue with Ronnie Johnson and Bryson Scott.
First it was P.J. Thompson as a spring signee, then the parade of fifth-year transfers commenced: Jon Octeus to Johnny Hill and now to Spike Albrecht, who announced his commitment to the Boilermakers Tuesday morning but has had his mind made up since about the middle of last week.
What's it mean?
It means Purdue now has five guards instead of four, which would have been a perilous level of depth and it adds an experienced hand to a backcourt mix that should mature into something better this season than it was last season.
Thompson should be better as a junior than he was a sophomore, and the glaring need there is to simply handle situations better, because on paper in terms of decision-making and shooting, he was very much good enough to win with on a roster with strengths that lie elsewhere.
Dakota Mathias broke out at the end of last season and stands to pick up right where he left off last season, one would think.
Ryan Cline was reliable as a freshman and improved through the course of the year. It stands to reason to suggest he takes a step forward next season.
Carsen Edwards is the other newcomer. He will have a role, because his quickness and scoring punch at the point may be unparalleled on this roster. That said, he's a freshman who'll face an adjustment to a different game at the college level.
So Albrecht gives Purdue five guards, six if you count Vince Edwards, if he's back. He's straddling that frontcourt-backcourt line right now.
But the point being, the Boilermakers needed backcourt help and got a player with experience that just doesn't grown on trees. Spike Albrecht doesn't have 50,000 Twitter followers because he was a sought-after fifth-year transfer; starring in Final Fours has that effect, as does hitting on supermodels on social media.
Anyway, there's not a player on Purdue's roster who can match the big-game experience Albrecht has scene and next season, the Boilermakers are going to have to show they can handle that stage. The Little Rock wasn't just about the end of that game, but the Boilermakers didn't exactly put their best foot forward to begin that game, either. The more experience, the more maturity on hand, the better, whether that be from newcomers or returnees growing into something more than they were before.
Ideally, you probably want a little more quickness, fewer health concerns - and for the record, Albrecht should be fine - but if you're Purdue, you simply can't not take a player of this level of substance, by every account.
They're different players, but Spike Albrecht is Rye Smith. Hell, they even look alike.
And Purdue loves Ryne Smith.
Now, from a basketball-composition perspective, here's what Purdue has: A backcourt that is not going to be particularly athletic or the fleetest of foot, which is a concern, for certain, but falls into the larger context that this team is going to have to change defensively anyway. But it should be, to a man, cognitively advanced and supremely skilled.
Can't speak to Carsen Edwards quite yet because of the unknowns that come with new-ness, but in trading out Rapheal Davis and Kendall Stephens for Spike Albrecht, Purdue has a backcourt full of all guys who can shoot, but as importantly, can handle the ball and make good decisions.
Thompson's decision-making was very good for a first-year starter last season. Albrecht's, one would think, should be a strength.
And Mathias and Cline were outstanding in that category last season. The combined to commit just 32 turnovers in 1,140 minutes. That’s a staggering number.
For as valuable as Davis was and as physically gifted as Stephens was, they were never great ball-handlers or decision-makers. I'm not saying this is addition by subtraction, per se, but just pointing out that there might be a net gain.
This is provided returning players improve and mature and everyone stays healthy. Five guards is better than four, but that's still not a fat number.
As for questions about Albrecht, well, the first is obviously health. But you'd have to think a year-plus of recovery - which is where he will be here in a few weeks - should suffice, at least to get him to a functional capacity. The good news is Purdue won't need Albrecht to be a 30-minute player. Mathias may be the only guard on the roster who'll have to be next season. If Albrecht has some limitations, Purdue does have other guys.
Another modest question might be systematic.
Purdue will run its offense, again, through the post, kind of the opposite of what Albrecht comes from at Michigan. I don't have any data to back this up, but other than Mitch McGary's brief run with the Wolverines, they never had a big man they really featured in the low post in their more spread-out three-crazy system.
Is that an adjustment for Albrecht? Maybe. A deterrent for Purdue? Certainly not.
Purdue needed an impact guard and needed maturity and that's a difficult combination to find on the first of May.
There are some questions, but all in all, this was an easy decision for both sides, almost a perfect fit.
In a perfect world for the Boilermaker program, this will be the last late recruiting period in which it needs to add a player to its backcourt, but such is life when the same position busts out in back-to-back recruiting classes, as happened for Purdue with Ronnie Johnson and Bryson Scott.
First it was P.J. Thompson as a spring signee, then the parade of fifth-year transfers commenced: Jon Octeus to Johnny Hill and now to Spike Albrecht, who announced his commitment to the Boilermakers Tuesday morning but has had his mind made up since about the middle of last week.
What's it mean?
It means Purdue now has five guards instead of four, which would have been a perilous level of depth and it adds an experienced hand to a backcourt mix that should mature into something better this season than it was last season.
Thompson should be better as a junior than he was a sophomore, and the glaring need there is to simply handle situations better, because on paper in terms of decision-making and shooting, he was very much good enough to win with on a roster with strengths that lie elsewhere.
Dakota Mathias broke out at the end of last season and stands to pick up right where he left off last season, one would think.
Ryan Cline was reliable as a freshman and improved through the course of the year. It stands to reason to suggest he takes a step forward next season.
Carsen Edwards is the other newcomer. He will have a role, because his quickness and scoring punch at the point may be unparalleled on this roster. That said, he's a freshman who'll face an adjustment to a different game at the college level.
So Albrecht gives Purdue five guards, six if you count Vince Edwards, if he's back. He's straddling that frontcourt-backcourt line right now.
But the point being, the Boilermakers needed backcourt help and got a player with experience that just doesn't grown on trees. Spike Albrecht doesn't have 50,000 Twitter followers because he was a sought-after fifth-year transfer; starring in Final Fours has that effect, as does hitting on supermodels on social media.
Anyway, there's not a player on Purdue's roster who can match the big-game experience Albrecht has scene and next season, the Boilermakers are going to have to show they can handle that stage. The Little Rock wasn't just about the end of that game, but the Boilermakers didn't exactly put their best foot forward to begin that game, either. The more experience, the more maturity on hand, the better, whether that be from newcomers or returnees growing into something more than they were before.
Ideally, you probably want a little more quickness, fewer health concerns - and for the record, Albrecht should be fine - but if you're Purdue, you simply can't not take a player of this level of substance, by every account.
They're different players, but Spike Albrecht is Rye Smith. Hell, they even look alike.
And Purdue loves Ryne Smith.
Now, from a basketball-composition perspective, here's what Purdue has: A backcourt that is not going to be particularly athletic or the fleetest of foot, which is a concern, for certain, but falls into the larger context that this team is going to have to change defensively anyway. But it should be, to a man, cognitively advanced and supremely skilled.
Can't speak to Carsen Edwards quite yet because of the unknowns that come with new-ness, but in trading out Rapheal Davis and Kendall Stephens for Spike Albrecht, Purdue has a backcourt full of all guys who can shoot, but as importantly, can handle the ball and make good decisions.
Thompson's decision-making was very good for a first-year starter last season. Albrecht's, one would think, should be a strength.
And Mathias and Cline were outstanding in that category last season. The combined to commit just 32 turnovers in 1,140 minutes. That’s a staggering number.
For as valuable as Davis was and as physically gifted as Stephens was, they were never great ball-handlers or decision-makers. I'm not saying this is addition by subtraction, per se, but just pointing out that there might be a net gain.
This is provided returning players improve and mature and everyone stays healthy. Five guards is better than four, but that's still not a fat number.
As for questions about Albrecht, well, the first is obviously health. But you'd have to think a year-plus of recovery - which is where he will be here in a few weeks - should suffice, at least to get him to a functional capacity. The good news is Purdue won't need Albrecht to be a 30-minute player. Mathias may be the only guard on the roster who'll have to be next season. If Albrecht has some limitations, Purdue does have other guys.
Another modest question might be systematic.
Purdue will run its offense, again, through the post, kind of the opposite of what Albrecht comes from at Michigan. I don't have any data to back this up, but other than Mitch McGary's brief run with the Wolverines, they never had a big man they really featured in the low post in their more spread-out three-crazy system.
Is that an adjustment for Albrecht? Maybe. A deterrent for Purdue? Certainly not.
Purdue needed an impact guard and needed maturity and that's a difficult combination to find on the first of May.
There are some questions, but all in all, this was an easy decision for both sides, almost a perfect fit.
