The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/480355
at 6-7 and 230 pounds, arriving in the summer. He's got 6-4, 220-pound Houston transfer John O'Korn com- ing in and eligible for 2016, after he threw for 3,117 yards and 28 touch- downs his freshman season. And to top it off, Michigan could even play the "free agent" game, with Iowa fifth-year senior Jake Ruddock expressing interest in U-M and com- ing to visit. He'd be eligible to play immediately this fall and could be a quick fix in the short term. Harbaugh just doesn't like to lose, a point his brother John, coach of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, stressed in a recent talk with the Wolverines. John Harbaugh spoke about a fam- ily trip to Florida, in which the broth- ers engaged in their last serious wres- tling match. Jim, the younger sibling, body slammed John into the water, and put him down again. "I thought, this is how it's going to end," John quipped, while the Wol- verines laughed uproariously. But there was a serious point to be made, and John made it emphatically. "You've got a fighter," he said. "That's why you're here at Michigan, because you are fighters. That's what you are going to be —today, tomor- row and when you line up next year. You are going to fight, from beginning to end. "And occasionally, when you do lose, it will be a fight, right 'til the end. And you're going to win a lot of foot- ball games — I promise you." It appears that on all fronts, John's younger brother has just begun to fight. Meanwhile, Michigan basketball's "intermission" season between skeins of Big Ten contention and NCAA Tournament runs ended in disap- pointing fashion, without even an NIT bid. The bounce back for John Beilein's crew may take even less time. Already in transition, with Mitch McGary, Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III departing early for the NBA, the Wolverines lost through injury two of their top three return- ing performers in junior guard Caris LeVert and sophomore guard Derrick Walton Jr. Walton will be back, and LeVert very well could be, too, to join sopho- more forward Zak Irvin (14.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game) who grew up immeasurably over the course of the season. Spike Albrecht will also return as a senior, following some work on a painful hip. Add in all the freshmen who got thrown into the fire this year — for- wards Ricky Doyle, Aubrey Dawkins and Kam Chatman, as well as guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman — and the lineup fills out nicely. Throw in redshirting freshman D.J. Wilson at forward, super-shooter transfer swingman Duncan Robinson and per- haps a late import, and the Wolverines could be deep and loaded. "Wait 'til next year" always gets met with skepticism. In this case, there are myriad reasons why it's Michigan's summer mantra. ❏ Editor John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter @JB _ Wolverine.