A judge has refused to grant two Drake men’s basketball players an injunction so they can rejoin the team. Dontaie Smith and Lamont Evans were declared academically ineligible for failing to maintain a two-point grade average, a Drake rule that’s stricter than N-C-Double-A standards. George Appleby is the lawyer who represented the players in court and he says they won’t appeal to a higher court. Appleby spoke with the players this morning, and urged them to stay in school. Appleby spoke to Drake University lawyers this morning and asked for a “probationary period” so the two players can turn in extra work or re-take tests to raise their grades from last semester. No decision has yet been made. Drake President David Maxwell had this reaction to the judge’s ruling. Maxwell says he’s relieved that the judge has affirmed the University’s academic priorities. He says it’s in many ways a “no-win” situation as Drake was in court against its own students. Maxwell says he wants to use the situation to move the University forward. Drake Coach Kurt Kanaskie learned of the ruling while preparing his team to play at Indiana State tonight. Kanaskie says he’s prepared to finish the season with seven scholarship players and one walk on. On the court, Drake is riding a four-game winning streak and with a win they’d have a share of first place in the conference. It would also snap a 39-game road losing streak.
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