Daily Sports Extra
Covering OSU and NIT
Sunday Morning
SPORTS
Men's Basketball
Preseason NIT, vs. Bradley
Friday, 8:00 p.m.
Crisler Arena
The Michigan Daily.
Wednesday, November 19, 1986
Page 9
Harbaugh set for dream game
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By ADAM MARTIN
When Jim Harbaugh guaranteed
a victory Monday for the
Wolverines in this Saturday's Ohio
State-Michigan clash, he had
history on his side.
Harbaugh has never actually
played in a "Big Game" that
decided the Big Ten Championship.
But in his mind he has quarter -
backed the Wolverines past the
Buckeyes several times over.
"WHEN HE was younger, he
used to lay in bed and dream about
this situation," said Jack Harbaugh,
Jim's father. "I'm sure he's been
through it 100 times in his head,
and now, finally, the dream's come
true."
Jim's dreams always pointed
toward Michigan football. His
father, who was fired Monday after
five years as head football coach at
Western Michigan, was Bo
Schembechler's defensive backfield
coach from 1973-1979. During that
time Jim progressed from the St.
Francis of Assisi school to Pioneer
High. He often watched the
Wolverines in practice, and he used
the acquaintances he made there to
impress his friends.
"He made it his business to
know Rick Leach (1975-78)," the
elder Harbaugh remembered. "He
used to collect his wrist bands and
then go back to school and give
them away."
JIM'S SCHOOLBOY fame
ended when his dad took the job as
defensive coordinator at Stanford
after the '79 season. The move
forced the younger Harbaugh to
play his high school football in
Palo Alto, Calif.
Still, he never forgot "The Big
Game." Stanford has its own
version, Stanford-California, and
Jim frequented the Stanford sideline.
Forced into a new football tradition,
however, Jim was quick to
downgrade the Stanford-Cal game.
"We were on the field at Cal the
year after I took the job at Stanford
and in the pre-game Jim was
standing next to me," his father
recalled. "He heard 'Welcome to
The Big Game' and said to me, 'We
know where the real Big Game is
- back home."'
MICHIGAN beat Ohio State, 9-
3, that year, but the Harbaughs
were not around to enjoy the
feeling. Saturday in Columbus,
however, Jim Harbaugh will get his
chance to prove himself in the real
"Big Game."
"Since I was little I wanted the
chance to play in the big game, to
be able to test yourself," said
Harbaugh, Michigan's all-time
leading passer with 4,891 yards on
346 completions. "To be in a
situation where every play is vital,
it's always interesting to see how
you'll respond."
In his last two seasons Harbaugh
has responded particularly well in
pressure situations. His 77-yard
touchdown pass to John Kolesar
secured a Michigan victory in last
year's "Big Game," and despite
losing to Minnesota, 20-17, last
week, Harbaugh completed two
critical throws to Greg McMurtry
in the Wolverines' game-tying final
drive.
BUT NONE of Harbaugh's past
accomplishments matter to him,
not this week anyway.
"I remember every play from last
year's (OSU game)... exactly what I
was thinking. But that game is in
the past. Nothing is older than
yesterday's success. People will
only remember (what happens)
Saturday when this season's over."
Schembechler will remember the
best passer in Michigan history for
a long time. With a 163.0
efficiency rating, Harbaugh has
made Michigan'look like a passing
team this year, despite running no
more passing plays than Wolverine
teams of past years.
"I don't promote anybody until
they've done something, and
(Harbaugh's) done it," said
Schembechler. "There's nobody else
I'd rather have running my team."
And nobody else wants to run it
as much as Harbaugh.
4.
Doily Photo by SCOTT LITUCHY
Michigan quarterback Jim Harbaugh has always dreamed of playing
Ohio State for a bid to the Rose Bowl. Saturday Harbaugh will get that
chance in Columbus.
,Prep cager Higgins
rejects 'M' for UCLA
ar
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1 YOU CAN
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Just present your student
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Dine in or carry out * 665.1116
R,
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By SCOTT G. MILLER
Sean Higgins, one of the top
high school basketball players in
the nation, announced at a press
conference yesterday he would
attend UCLA. The Los Angeles
native had narrowed his choices to
Michigan and the Bruins.
"We are extremely excited Sean
has chosen to become part of our
program," said UCLA coach Walt
Hazzard. "He is without a doubt
one of the best players in the
country. And combined with
Gerald Madkins and Kevin
JWilliams, Sean gives us an
outstanding future at UCLA."
MICHIGAN head coach Bill
Frieder was unavailable for
replace senior Reggie Miller.
Higgins averaged 25.9 points, eight
rebounds, and three assists per game
last year in high school. The 6-9
forward hit 59.9 percent from the
floor and 94.9 percent from the free
throw line.
On Monday, Michigan signed
Chris Seter of Brookfield, Wis.
Seter scored 12.5 points and 12
rebounds a contest for Brookfield
Central. The 6-9 center-forward is
the only player the Wolverines have
signed during the early November
signing period.
Today is the last day for recruits
to sign before the spring.
Michigan is not expected to land
any more recruits until the next
signing period.
' ~
comment.
Hazzard will
look to Higgins to
GRIDDE
At Sunday's Big Ten Basketball
Media Conference, new Ohio State
head coach Gary Williams said 80
players showed up last month for
an open tryout.
"The first thing I did was cut all
the guys who wore black socks."
If you're not into black socks,
turn in your picks by :midnight
Friday to win a free pizza from
Pizza Bob's.
1. MICHIGAN at Ohio State
(pick total points)
2. Wisconsin at Michigan
State
3. Northwestern at Illinois
4. Indiana at Purdue
PICKS
5. Iowa at Minnesota
6. Washington at
Washington State
7. Pitt at Penn State
8. Syracuse at W. Virginia
9. Yale at Harvard
10. Notre Dame at LSU
11. S. Carolina at Clemson
12. Oklahoma at Nebraska
13. Arkansas at SMU
14. Texas at Baylor
15. Arizona St. at Arizona,
16. Oregon at Oregon State
17. USC at UCLA
18. Stanford at California
19. Penn at Cornell
20. DAILY LIBELS at Ohio
State Lanterns
ON SALE!
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