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Cedquavious “Dae Dae” Hunter was banned from the NCAA for participating in a scheme in which he and two of his teammates shaved points to make money off a player.
Hunter, Dyquavion Short and Jamond Vincent were offered $5,000 in exchange for their participation in the scheme, and at least seven games were affected.
“I was money hungry. That’s all it was. Money hungry. Quick cash,” Hunter said in an interview with “Good Morning America.”
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Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners guard Cedquavious Hunter dribbles the ball on the outside during a game between UC David and Cal State Bakersfield on January 26, 2023 at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, California. (David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
When first asked why he took the money, Hunter asked to “skip that question.” After wiping his tears and walking away to compose himself, he delved into his reasoning.
“I just had a kid. The school wasn’t paying me money. So I was trying to get money to actually take care of my kid,” Hunter said.
Hunter lied to the NCAA and said he “knew nothing.”
“But the whole time I knew everything. I tried to lie because I thought I would get away with it,” Hunter said.
Hunter and his teammates started playing their normal game early, but deliberately underperformed later in the game so as not to arouse suspicion.
The NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis is shown on Thursday, March 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
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The NCAA said last month it was investigating at least 30 current or former players for gambling allegations. The NCAA also suspended three college basketball players in September for playing at their own games at Fresno State and San Jose State.
The violations in New Orleans against Hunter, Short and Vincent came to light after the NCAA received a tip about game-fixing. The NCAA said a student-athlete overheard the three players discussing a third party placing a bet on their game against McNeese State on Dec. 28, 2024. New Orleans lost 86-61. The same student-athlete reported that during a timeout near the end of the game, Short instructed him not to score any more points.
New Orleans suspended all three student-athletes for the remainder of the season while it investigated the allegations.
The NCAA logo is seen at center court prior to the men’s college basketball championship games at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, March 18, 2015. (Associated Press)
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The NCAA investigation found that the three players manipulated their performances in seven games from December to January to lose by more points than the spread in those games.
