How One Great Half In The Championship Game Impacted A Player's Social Media Popularity

The surprising star early in the NCAA championship game was Michigan's back-up guard Spike Albrecht. And thanks to some hot shooting on the national stage, Albrecht became an instant celebrity on social media.

Prior to last night's game, Albrecht was averaging just 1.8 points per game and had not scored more than seven points in a single game. But he got hot in the first half and scored 17 points, sending people on Twitter into a frenzy.

During the game, the number of people following Albrecht's Twitter account (@SpikeAlbrecht) grew from less than 4,000 prior to tip-off, to more than 19,000 by the end of the game. Here is a look at how both his Twitter followers and points grew through the night (Twitter data via Reddit)...