26 Charged in NCAA Point-Shaving Scheme Spanning Dozens of Games

Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania unsealed an indictment Thursday charging 26 people, including current and former college basketball players, with fixing dozens of NCAA games through point-shaving. The scheme, which ran from September 2022 to February 2025, involved players from 17 Division I teams who took bribes to underperform, allowing bettors to profit on sports wagers.

Background

The plot started in China with games in the Chinese Basketball Association. A former NBA player there began manipulating his own performance and pulling in teammates. One text from a key figure in the group read, 'Nothing guaranteed in this world but death, taxes and Chinese basketball.' That success led the group to shift focus to U.S. college basketball ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Prosecutors say the fixers picked players carefully. They targeted those on smaller schools where name, image and likeness deals did not pay much. Bribe amounts, often $10,000 to $30,000 per game, looked better than what those players could earn legally. The group bet heavily against the teams of the bribed players, especially on first-half spreads or full-game totals.

By the time it hit NCAA courts, the operation had grown. It touched mid-major and low-major programs across the country. Some players had already faced NCAA sanctions for similar issues. Two players from New Orleans, for example, got hit with penalties in November after the NCAA found they fixed games.

The scheme defrauded sportsbooks and everyday bettors. People placed wagers thinking they watched fair play. Instead, outcomes got twisted by players who held back on purpose.

Key Details

The 70-page indictment names 20 defendants who played college basketball in the 2023-24 or 2024-25 seasons. Seventeen are former players, but four still suit up this year. Kennesaw State's Simeon Cottle, the preseason Conference USA Player of the Year averaging 20.2 points, faces charges. So do Delaware State's Camian Shell, Eastern Michigan's Carlos Hart, and Texas Southern's Oumar Koureissi. All four played in games last week.

Specific Games and Players

One case involved Kennesaw State against Queens University on March 1, 2024. Fixers sent Cottle and teammate Demond Robinson a photo of $100,000 in cash. They and another player got $40,000 to join in, prosecutors say.

At DePaul, four players — Da'Sean Nelson, Jalen Terry, Micawber Etienne, and one unnamed — agreed to underperform in three 2024 games against Georgetown, Butler, and St. John's. In the Georgetown game, bettors put down at least $27,000 on the Hoyas to cover the first-half spread. DePaul trailed 41-28 at halftime. Terry scored zero points then but 16 later. The next day, a fixer handed over $40,000 in cash in Chicago.

Against St. John's, bettors wagered over $52,000 that DePaul would not cover the first-half spread. Terry scored nothing in the first half; Nelson got four points. During the game, texts flew about keeping the ball from a teammate not in on it.

Fordham's Elijah Gray and a teammate tried to throw a game against Duquesne on February 23, 2024. Bettors risked $195,000 on Duquesne covering. Fordham won anyway. Gray texted afterward, 'I tried.' The fixer replied, 'You did your job for sure.'

Saint Louis center Bradley Ezewiro allegedly fixed a game against Duquesne. He texted a fixer about DePaul's Nelson, calling his team the worst in the Big East and saying he was ready. The fixer already had him lined up.

In all, over 39 players from at least 17 teams fixed or tried to fix more than 29 games in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. The NCAA has banned at least 11 players for life so far, with more cases pending. Their probe looked at about 40 athletes from 20 schools.

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

What This Means

College sports now face questions about trust in every game. Fans bet millions each season, and legal sportsbooks operate in most states. This case shows how easy it became for a small group to rig outcomes after betting went mainstream.

The NCAA President called for states to ban certain high-risk bets. Current players charged could face immediate suspension or worse. Teams like Kennesaw State and others must deal with fallout, from wins vacated to recruiting hits.

Prosecutors call it one of the biggest gambling conspiracies in U.S. sports history. Sportsbooks lost big payouts on fixed games. Individual bettors got burned too, chasing what they thought were sure things.

Investigators say the ring succeeded often, even if some fixes failed. They recruited through personal ties in basketball. Texts and cash photos paint a clear picture of how it worked.

Broader probes continue. The NCAA overlaps with federal cases on many players. More charges could come as details emerge. Schools scramble to check their rosters and past results.

This hits at a time when NIL money flows but not evenly. Players on top teams cash in big; others scrape by. That gap made some open to quick cash offers.

Leagues and books now watch closer for odd patterns in scores or stats. Point-shaving hides better than outright throws, making it hard to spot live. But big bets tipped off the FBI.