Two-time plane crash survivor Austin Hatch scores for Michigan
At a time when his school's football team is home for bowl season and his school's basketball team is suffering through a miserable December, Austin Hatch still gave Michigan fans something to cheer about Monday night.
The two-time plane crash survivor scored his first point in a regular season game late in the Wolverines' 72-56 victory over Coppin State.
On Hatch's first possession after checking into the game with 1:22 remaining and Michigan leading by 21, the 6-foot-6 freshman was fouled attempting a top of the key 3-pointer. Hatch missed his first and third free throws but drained the second one, earning him pats on the back and high fives from his teammates and a standing ovation from the Crisler Arena crowd.
The free throw was monumental for Hatch and the Wolverines because of what it took for the Indiana native to still be playing basketball these days.
Eight years after he and his dad walked away from a 2003 crash that killed his mother, 11-year-old sister and 5-year-old brother, Hatch experienced a sickening case of déjà vu. His dad was flying the family to its Michigan summer house in June 2011 when the small, single-engine plane plummeted nose-first into a garage along a residential street north of Charlevoix Municipal Airport, killing Hatch's father and stepmother and critically injuring him.
Hatch emerged from a medically induced coma eight weeks after the crash, but he required physical therapy to regain his ability to walk or catch a ball and he completed word searches and crossword puzzles to regain his mental acuity. Though Hatch may never fully regain the coordination and athleticism that earned him scholarships from many of the Midwest's top basketball programs, Michigan has honored its offer and enabled him to fulfill his dream of continuing his career.
"Almost as soon as I woke up from the coma, I told people I was going to play basketball again," Hatch said last year. "There were people who doubted me, but I used that as motivation. I basically just said, 'Thank you for your opinion, but I'm going to prove you wrong.'"
Hatch had done that even before Monday night, making his Michigan debut during a summer tour of Italy and scoring in an exhibition game last month. Michigan coach John Beilein had hoped to get Hatch more regular season playing time during non-conference play, but the Wolverines haven't been able to build the leads necessary against inferior competition. They entered Monday's game on a four-game losing streak that included setbacks against NJIT and Eastern Michigan.
At last, Hatch got his chance Monday night, and he nearly delivered more than just the one free throw. A corner 3-pointer on Michigan's ensuing possession just rimmed out, preventing an already great night for Hatch from getting even better.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
