Dozens Charged in College Basketball Point-Shaving Scandal

Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania charged 26 people Thursday with running a point-shaving scheme in college basketball. The plot involved more than 39 players from 17 NCAA Division I teams who fixed or tried to fix dozens of games during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. A gambling ring led by several organizers, including a former NBA player, paid players to underperform in those games. The charges came in an indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Background

The scheme started in September 2022 with illegal gambling on professional basketball games in China. A former LSU player, Antonio Blakeney, who played for a team in the Chinese Basketball Association, fixed games there. He then teamed up with others in the U.S., including ringleaders like Hennen and Fairley, to shift focus to college basketball ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Prosecutors say the group picked players at smaller schools where name, image and likeness deals did not pay much. They offered bribes from $10,000 to $30,000 to make the money seem like a big supplement to what players earned otherwise. The fixers had ties to basketball, which helped them recruit players. Bettors in the ring placed huge wagers on the games, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars on single bets.

This case ranks among the largest gambling scandals in college sports history. It hit mid-major programs hard, with no top-tier schools named. Schools like Kennesaw State, Eastern Michigan, Delaware State, Texas Southern, Saint Louis, DePaul, Fordham and others felt the impact. The NCAA has its own probe overlapping with the federal case and has already banned some players for life.

"This was a massive scheme that enveloped the world of college basketball," said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf at a news conference. "This was a significant and rampant corruption of college athletics."

Key Details

Of the 26 charged, 20 played college basketball in the 2023-24 or 2024-25 seasons. Seventeen are former college players. Four current players face charges: Kennesaw State's Simeon Cottle, averaging 20.2 points this season; Eastern Michigan's Carlos Hart, at 13.1 points; Delaware State's Camian Shell, 8.0 points; and Texas Southern's Oumar Koureissi, 4.9 points. None of the charges against them tie to this season's games. Cottle's alleged role was in 2023-24, while the others stem from past schools.

Specific Games and Players

The indictment details over 29 fixed or attempted fixes. In one case, Kennesaw State guards Simeon Cottle and Demond Robinson got a photo of $100,000 in cash before a March 1, 2024, game against Queens University. They and another person each took $40,000 to underperform, prosecutors say.

At DePaul, forward Da'Sean Nelson and teammates Jalen Terry and Micawber Etienne agreed to hold back in games against Georgetown, Butler and St. John's in 2024. In the Georgetown game on Feb. 24, bettors put down at least $27,000 on Georgetown covering the first-half spread. They led 41-28 at halftime. Terry scored zero points in the first half and 16 in the second. The next day, a fixer handed over $40,000 in cash to the four players in Chicago.

Against St. John's, bettors wagered over $52,000 that DePaul would not cover the first-half spread. Terry scored nothing before halftime, Nelson just four points. During the game, a fixer texted about keeping the ball from a strong teammate not in on the plan.

Saint Louis center Bradley Ezewiro allegedly threw a game against Duquesne. He texted a fixer a screenshot of DePaul's Da'Sean Nelson's stats, saying he was ready to join.

In a failed fix, Fordham's Elijah Gray and a teammate tried to underperform against Duquesne on Feb. 23, 2024. Bettors risked $195,000 on Fordham not covering. Fordham won anyway. Gray texted afterward, "I tried." The fixer replied, "You did your job for sure."

Other big bets included $458,000 on NC A&T losing to Towson, $424,000 on Kent State covering a first-half spread against Buffalo, and $275,000 on Southern Miss not covering against South Alabama.

The charges include bribery in sporting contests and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Bribery carries up to five years in prison. Wire fraud brings up to 20 years. Players also tried to recruit others into the scheme.

Schools reacted fast. Eastern Michigan suspended Carlos Hart from all team activities. Kennesaw State put Simeon Cottle on indefinite suspension.

The NCAA has sanctioned players like former New Orleans guards Cedquavious Hunter and Dyquavian Short for fixing seven games from December to January. They lost by more than betting spreads to help outside bettors. Others like Jamond Vincent from New Orleans and players from Arizona State and Mississippi Valley State faced NCAA bans too.

What This Means

The scandal shakes trust in college basketball, especially at smaller programs where players might see bribes as easy money. Sportsbooks and regular bettors lost out because they bet on games rigged from the start. Prosecutors say the defendants cheated everyone who expected fair play.

Leagues and schools now face more pressure to watch betting closely. The NCAA's enforcement team looked at about 40 players from 20 schools over the past year. That number will grow with this case. Lifetime bans await those found guilty by the NCAA.

Coaches and programs must check player ties to gamblers. Big betting sums show how sports wagering has grown since it became legal in many states. This plot used legal apps but twisted them for fraud.

Players charged may never play again, even if cleared. Teams like Kennesaw State lose stars mid-season. Fans question past results from affected schools such as Duquesne, Georgetown, St. John's, Butler, Kent State, Ohio, East Carolina, McNeese State, La Salle and Western Michigan.

Court cases will drag on, with trials testing the evidence. Attorneys for some defendants, like one for a ringleader, said they are reviewing the indictment but had no comment yet. The full impact on college hoops will show in coming months as more details emerge.