- Six college basketball players received permanent bans from the NCAA for manipulating games and sharing inside information with bettors during the 2024-25 season.
- The cases at Arizona State, New Orleans and Mississippi Valley State are part of a broader federal investigation linking NBA and college basketball gambling schemes.
- NCAA President Charlie Baker is calling for a ban on college basketball prop bets following the revelations of widespread betting corruption.
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA revoked eligibility for six men’s college basketball players Friday following investigations into three separate sports-betting cases involving game manipulation and point-shaving schemes during the 2024-25 season.
The Committee on Infractions found that players from Arizona State, New Orleans and Mississippi Valley State either manipulated their performances or provided inside information to bettors, casting a shadow over what should have been a promising season for these programs.
The athletes are Chatton “BJ” Freeman at Arizona State; Cedquavious Hunter, Dyquavian Short and Jamond Vincent at New Orleans; and Donovan Sanders and Alvin Stredic at Mississippi Valley State.
The announcement comes as federal prosecutors and the FBI investigate deepening connections between an NBA gambling ring and college basketball programs. When authorities arrested more than 30 people in October, including NBA player Terry Rozier and coach Chauncey Billups, they initially stated there was no college basketball involvement.
That assurance proved premature. Investigators later discovered sports betting connections between professional and collegiate players, prompting Pennsylvania’s Eastern District federal prosecutors to launch a probe into Division I programs.
Game Manipulation Schemes Uncovered
At New Orleans, the violations came to light after a student-athlete overheard three players discussing a third party placing bets on their Dec. 28, 2024, game against McNeese State. The Privateers lost that game 86-61 in what investigators would later determine was no accident.
The NCAA investigation revealed Hunter, Short and Vincent manipulated their performances in seven games between December and January, intentionally losing by more than the betting spread. Text messages on Vincent’s phone painted a damning picture, showing him instructing third parties to bet on games his team planned to throw.
Freeman’s case emerged when NCAA investigators reviewed text messages from a previously banned Fresno State player. Records showed Freeman knowingly provided information to bettors on multiple occasions through legal sports betting platforms, including to his then-girlfriend who placed wagers based on his insider tips.
At Mississippi Valley State, a teammate reported overhearing Sanders discuss throwing the game with an unknown third party before their Dec. 21, 2024, contest. Sanders later admitted he and Stredic were offered money to perform poorly in their Jan. 6 game, with specific instructions to struggle in the first half.
An integrity monitoring service flagged suspicious betting trends for that contest, triggering the NCAA investigation.
NCAA President Charlie Baker has renewed calls for banning college basketball betting sites from offering prop bets following the revelations. All six players also violated ethical conduct rules by providing false information to investigators, triggering permanent ineligibility under NCAA guidelines adopted in 2023.
