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Last month, the NBA was rocked by a widespread betting investigation. Dozens of people associated with the league, including a current head coach, were arrested on October 23.
At the time, the investigation was not believed to have involved college basketball players. However, federal investigators led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and NCAA officials later confirmed that an investigation had been opened to investigate potential gambling violations at the Division I level in college basketball.
On Friday, the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions announced that it had “uncovered violations by six student-athletes who competed in men’s basketball at New Orleans, Mississippi Valley and Arizona State.”
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The NCAA logo on the entrance sign outside the NCAA headquarters on February 28, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The cases at the three schools are considered separate, but each share similarities involving alleged betting with the intent to rig games or student-athletes providing known players with inappropriate information.
“Additionally, all three cases involved the non-cooperation of student-athletes who knowingly provided false or misleading information to investigators. As a result of the sports betting violations, all student-athletes violated ethical conduct rules, triggering permanent suspensions,” the NCAA said.
THREE FORMER EASTERN MICHIGAN BASKETBALL PLAYERS DEFIED SPORTS BETTING PROBE, NCAA SAYS
The NCAA named the following six individuals: Cedquavious Hunter, Dyquavian Short, Jamond Vincent, Donovan Sanders, Alvin Stredic and Chatton “BJ” Freeman. As of this year, none of these athletes are currently enrolled at their former schools.
Detailed view of a Wilson NCAA basketball on the court during a men’s basketball game on March 12, 2025. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
The NCAA determined that Sanders and Stredic received cash offers to effectively throw a game in January against Alabama A&M. Ahead of a matchup with Tulsa in December 2024, Sanders was heard talking about “throwing a game,” the NCAA said.
Hunter and Sanders refused to cooperate in their respective cases, the governing body for college athletics in the United States said. Meanwhile, Stredic, Vincent and Short did not respond to enforcement personnel during the processing of their respective cases. Freeman agreed to cooperate in a resolution, according to officials.
In this March 18, 2015 file photo, the NCAA logo is displayed at center court as work continues at The Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh for the NCAA college basketball tournament. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
Officials noted that the organization’s Committee on Infractions does not “assess sanctions for student-athletes who violated NCAA rules, but approved the findings, confirming that the violations occurred.”
On Friday, ESPN reported that the six players named in three separate cases had their NCAA eligibility permanently revoked.
An estimated 30 current and former men’s basketball players have been investigated, the NCAA said in October.
Last month, at least three former Eastern Michigan men’s basketball players refused to cooperate with the NCAA’s investigation into questionable sports betting activities. The NCAA imaged the personal phones of Jalin Billingsley, Da’Sean Nelson and Jalen Terry in January. The investigation stemmed from unusual betting activity surrounding Eastern Michigan’s game against Central Michigan on Jan. 14, according to results made available in late October.
