A college basketball point-shaving scheme involving more than 39 players from 17 NCAA Division I teams resulted in dozens of fixed games over the previous two seasons, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The gambling ring included a former NBA player and targeted athletes with limited NIL opportunities.
Twenty of the 26 defendants played college basketball during the 2023-24 or 2024-25 seasons. Four indicted players appeared for their current teams in the past week, although none of the charges stem from this season.
Authorities identified five defendants as “fixers” who recruited players and offered bribes ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 to deliberately underperform. Gamblers then placed and won millions of dollars in bets on the fixed games, prosecutors said.
Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney was named but not charged in the indictment. Blakeney allegedly helped recruit players to participate in the scheme and offered bribes. He played two seasons with the Chicago Bulls from 2017 to 2019 after starring at LSU.
The plan began around September 2022 and initially focused on fixing Chinese Basketball Association games before expanding to college basketball ahead of the 2023-2024 season. U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said fixers deliberately recruited individuals with connections in college basketball.
“They chose these guys because they were well connected in the world of college basketball,” Metcalf said. “Trainers, recruiters, networkers, people with influence, and because of that influence they added gravitas and legitimacy to the plan.”
The defendants are charged with bribery in sports competitions and conspiracy to commit fraud. The alleged fixers face additional counts of wire fraud. Bribery carries a maximum penalty of five years, while fraud carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
Kennesaw State Guard Simeon Cottle, the Conference USA preseason player of the year who averaged 20.2 points per game, has been suspended indefinitely from team activities. Eastern Michigan has suspended Carlos Hart pending the outcome of the case.
The indictment alleges that a fixer sent Cottle and former teammate Demond Robinson a photo of approximately $100,000 in cash before Kennesaw State’s March 1, 2024 game against Queens University. The three received $40,000 for their alleged participation, prosecutors said.
DePaul players Da’Sean Nelson, Jalen Terry and Micawber Etienne reportedly agreed to underperform in three 2024 games against Georgetown, Butler and St. John’s. Bettors bet at least $27,000 on Georgetown to cover the spread in the first half on Feb. 24, with Georgetown leading 41-28 at halftime.
NCAA President Charlie Baker said enforcement personnel opened betting integrity investigations into about 40 players from 20 schools over the past year. Baker sent a letter to gambling regulators on Thursday asking them to eliminate prop betting to protect players and game integrity.
The 17 schools named in the indictment include Abilene Christian, Alabama State, Buffalo, Coppin State, DePaul, Eastern Michigan, Fordham, Kennesaw State, La Salle, New Orleans, Nicholls State, North Carolina A&T, Northwestern State, Robert Morris, Saint Louis, Southern Miss and Tulane.
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