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Waiver from Big Ten adds to possibilities for former Michigan forward

Max Bielfeldt, Jonathan Graham

AP Photo

AP

Earlier this month the decision for former Michigan forward Max Bielfeldt appeared to be a straightforward one. Having trimmed his list of schools down to Iowa State and DePaul, it appeared as if the graduate student would use his final year of eligibility at one of those two institutions.

However things changed thanks to the Big Ten, which granted Bielfeldt’s request for a waiver that would allow him to compete at another Big Ten program should he want to do so. According to MLive.com that decision has opened up more possibilities for the forward, who visited Nebraska on Wednesday, and there’s also a family connection to Illinois.

Given the option of pursuing Big Ten interests, most have expected Bielfeldt to also visit Illinois. The 21-year-old’s family has significant family ties to Illinois, where the athletic administration building on campus is named the Bielfeldt Athletic Administration Building.

It would certainly be interesting if Bielfeldt were to return to Ann Arbor playing for a conference foe, and Nebraska is in a position where they could use another body in the front court.

The Huskers lost both Walter Pitchford and Moses Abraham from last year’s team, with Pitchford going the professional route and Abraham out of eligibility. Nebraska adds three freshmen, most notably Ed Morrow, to the front court in 2015-16 but there isn’s much in the way of experience to be called upon.

As for the possibility of Illinois, the Fighting Illini have accounted for all 13 scholarships for the 2015-16 season with former Charlotte big man Mike Thorne Jr. coming aboard as a grad student.