'U' athletes guilty in charges of drinking

From staff and wire reports

One former and two current Michigan basketball players entered guilty pleas yesterday to charges stemming from their arrest in suburban Detroit on Sept. 4.

Freshmen Avery Queen and Bernard Robinson both pled guilty to being minors in possession of alcohol. The two 19-year-olds agreed to pay $150 in fines, Nicholas Roumel, the players' attorney, told The Associated Press.

Kevin Gaines, who Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe dismissed from the team for repeated violations of team rules, also entered a guilty plea for having an unlawful blood alcohol level.

According to police reports, Gaines' breathalyzer test indicated his blood alcohol level was .17 percent, which is above the legal limit for operating an automobile.

The reports said that Gaines drove the car the night of the Taylor incident. Police said that at the time of arrest, the three players had stopped their car on Telegraph Road and started wrestling in the shoulder of the divided highway.

Roumel said Gaines will likely have to pay $775 in fines, court costs and fees when sentenced.

A date for Gaines' sentencing has not been set.

Queen, a 5-foot-3-inch, 150-pound freshman guard from Moreno Valley, Calif. is expected to compete for Michigan's starting point guard spot in the upcoming season with Gaines' dismissal.

Robinson is a 6-foot-6-inch 185-pound forward from Washington, D.C.

Gaines started all but one of Michigan's games in the 1999-2000 season, leading the team in assists (133), steals (34) and finishing third in points per game (11.7).