The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/418536
MICHIGAN BASKETBALL The Wolverine: Did you see that hug coming? Hatch: "That's the kind of man he is. A handshake is one thing, but giving someone a hug … that just shows you really care. It's for special moments, like tonight." The Wolverine: How does he walk the line between understanding that you are relearning some things and pushing you? Hatch: "I obviously still have a lot of work to do to get back to the Division I level, and be able to compete with my teammates in scrimmages and drills and stuff like that. He's about the team first, obviously. "Every day in practice, we practice hard, we practice smart. What is Michigan? Tough. We're going to be champions. Then we go, 'The Team, The Team, The Team.' That's all it's about. Bo Schembechler said that when he was here. "'No man is more important than The Team. No coach is more important than The Team. It's all about The Team. He preaches that. All my teammates feel the exact same way." The Wolverine: What has your experience been like at Michigan so far on this campus? Hatch: "Amazing. It really is a dream come true. I had high expectations before I moved in here. I thought it was going to be like heaven on earth, basically. I'll tell you, it's heaven on earth, and then some." The Wolverine: You said you don't expect this to be the kind of moment that draws so much attention every time. Talk about that a bit. Hatch: "For now, it's cool. But I hope by the end of my career here, it's not putting Austin Hatch in the game at the very end, when the team has already won the game. "I hope to be a contributing factor, a contributing member of our team. I'm going to continue to work my tail off and do my best to make that a reality." — John Borton Hatch was greeted warmly on the sideline by U-M head coach John Beilein after making one free throw in Michigan's exhibition game versus Wayne State on Nov. 10. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Click here to listen to The Wolverine's complete interview with Hatch. ▼