Kornacki: Hatch Free Throw Traveled Miles
12/23/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 23, 2014
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Freshman guard Austin Hatch is in the books at Michigan. He made a free throw at the end of a 72-56 win Monday night over Coppin State that swished from 16 feet out but actually traveled a million miles.
That's how far Hatch has come after twice surviving plane crashes that claimed his parents, his brother and sister and a stepmother.
Head coach John Beilein, who held a scholarship for Hatch after he committed to the Wolverines nine days before the second plane crash in 2011 left him in a medically induced coma for nearly two months, called a timeout after Hatch had a three-point attempt swirl out and 31.5 seconds remained.
He wanted Hatch to receive a well-deserved standing ovation from the 11,989 at Crisler Center, and when Beilein met him near the bench, the two clasped hands in a double low-five grip and couldn't stop smiling.
"He was saying how proud he was of me and how special it was to officially be a part of the Michigan scorebook," Hatch said in an exclusive interview with MGoBlue.com. "I made a free throw in an exhibition with Wayne State, but that doesn't really count.
"But I'm officially in the Michigan scorebook, and the Lord knows how close I came to never being in the Michigan scorebook. So, it's pretty special. It's only one free throw, but I knew what it took to get here and how privileged I am to be alive and still have the opportunity to play here."
In 2003, Hatch was in a plane crash that killed his mother, Julie, younger brother Ian and older sister Lindsay. In 2011, he was in a second plane crash that killed his father, Stephen, the pilot, and his stepmother.
Austin is the only member of his immediate family who survived, along with the Hatch's labradoodle, Brady. Austin suffered brain trauma, fractured ribs and a broken collarbone. And after coming out of his coma, Hatch had to relearn the most basic skills, like walking and talking.
Three years later, after lengthy rehabilitation and moving from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to live with an aunt and uncle in California for his final year of high school, Hatch was on the free throw line Monday night after getting fouled on a three-point shot that rimmed out.
Beilein said, "I told Austin, 'Just shoot it! The Lord will take care of it. Just shoot it.' And it almost went in. But I'm glad he was able to get in there, get to the foul line and put one in."
Coppin State coach Michael Grant, the brother of Gary Grant, Michigan's 1988 Big Ten Player of the Year, knew Hatch's story of overcoming so much.
"I'm glad they called that foul on us," Grant said. "I hoped he made all three. It was touching."
Wolverines forward Ricky Doyle, who had a game-high 16 points, said he'd asked Hatch to shoot extra free throws Sunday. "We were in the gym for 30 or 40 minutes just shooting straight free throws," said Doyle. "He knocked his down, and I'm really happy for him."
Doyle added that it was "huge" to see his teammate make one.
"I practice a lot, and I think every shot is going in," said Hatch. "I'm disappointed I was only 1-for-3 on the free throws and not 3-for-3."
Yet, after dribbling once and calmly nailing the middle free throw, Crisler Center exploded with joy.
Hatch, now 6-foot-6, averaged 23.3 points and 9.3 rebounds as a sophomore at Fort Wayne Canterbury High. He shot 64 percent from the field and 45 percent from behind the arc. But then the plane crash on June 15, 2011, changed things forever. It took away everything but his life, spirit and chance to play Division I basketball.
There is plenty of talent and potential in Hatch, and who knows how far he can go? Hey, he's already survived two plane crashes and come a million miles.
• U-M Snaps Skid with Victory over Coppin State in Non-Conference Finale
