August  9, 2007

CHICAGO, IL – Learando Drake, one of Chicago State University’s all-time men’s basketball greats, died Saturday, August 4th, of an apparent heart attack. He was 46.

Drake played for the Cougars from 1982-84, helping them to a 59-10 record. In just two seasons of play at Chicago State, Drake became the school’s fifth leading scorer with 1,056 points for his career. That mark today place him ninth, in CSU annals. Over the course of his career, Drake averaged 15.3 points per game.

“He was a free spirit and a fun personality who loved to laugh and play the game of basketball,” said former CSU teammate and current Cougar assistant, Matthew Muhammad. Drake enjoyed his greatest success during his senior season, when he helped lead the Cougars to a 3rd place finish at the NAIA National Championship Tournament. That same season CSU was the NAIA District 20 Champions and compiled a 31-5 overall record.

Drake, is a 1979 graduate of Englewood High School in Chicago, Illinois and played two seasons at Indiana State before transferring to CSU.

His funeral will be held Saturday, August 11 at Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, 6352 S. Eggleston Avenue in Chicago. Visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m. followed by the service at 11:00 a.m..

He is survived by his sister, Gwendolyn Drake, brother, Lashawn Porter, and son, Antonio Lawrence.