Never has a free throw in an exhibition game meant so much.

Michigan freshman Austin Hatch nailed a foul shot in the Wolverines' 86-43 victory over Wayne State on Monday.

It was a long time coming for Hatch. In 2011, he was in a plane crash that claimed the lives of his father and stepmother and left him in a coma. A few years before that, another plane crash killed his mother and two siblings in 2003.

Hatch was put in the game with under two minutes to play and went to the free throw line after he was fouled with 12 seconds to play. He missed the first shot, but made the second, sending the crowd into a frenzy before he was taken out and greeted by coach John Beilein.

The season hasn't officially tipped off yet, but we've already seen tremendous acts of sportsmanship. Who knows what else is in store?

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