ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The highlights from Austin Hatch's first season at Michigan still resonate, even as he gives up his playing role on the basketball team.
"First free throw is obviously a memory, versus Coppin State," he said. "Those are the memories I'll have for the rest of my life — scoring, scoring in Crisler Center, representing the University of Michigan. That's something I'll never forget."
Hatch, a survivor of two deadly airplane crashes whose story inspired fans all over college basketball, will no longer be an active player for the Wolverines. Michigan coach John Beilein announced Monday the Big Ten approved a medical exemption waiver that will allow Hatch keep his scholarship and serve as an undergraduate student assistant.