Spike Albrecht and Ricky Doyle were two young men with a dream: Getting the Hell out of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
It's a dream anyone with a functioning cerebral cortex can understand. That's why Michigan grads don't even live in Ann Arbor.
But they wanted to leave as college basketball players. While coaches are allowed to leave in the dead of night with zero consequences, players are forced to "ask for release" from their program.
Coaches usually acquiesce, but head coach John Beilein refused to release Albrecht and Doyle if their intent was to transfer to a Big Ten school or a Michigan opponent within the next two years. Doyle's didn't make a fuss. Albrecht's family... were less receptive.
Beilein doubled down on Thursday, saying though Albrecht would have to drop a level of competition to stay within the geographical footprint which his families could drive for games, he had "plenty of options."
Beilein, for whatever reason, did a 180 on Friday, removing all restrictions from their family:
Though the true reason for reversal is unknown, Max Bielfeldt, a former Michigan forward who used his final year of eligibility to transfer to Indiana in 2015, took sole credit on Twitter:
You're welcome Spike
— Max Bielfeldt (@MaxBielfeldt) April 1, 201
Source: @umhoops
