The federal investigation into alleged game-fixing that has ensnared at least two NBA players has also placed multiple men’s college basketball programs under scrutiny. Games this season involving Eastern Michigan and North Carolina A&T are being investigated, sources tell Sports Illustrated. A third school, Mississippi Valley State, is also part of the probe, according to an ESPN report Monday.
North Carolina A&T suspended three players on Thursday for what it termed a violation of team rules, including top scorers Landon Glasper and Ryan Forrest. When asked whether the suspensions were related to the gambling probe, head coach Monte Ross told SI via phone Friday, “That is not accurate,” and hung up. An athletic department spokesman told SI on Friday that neither the NCAA nor the feds had interviewed any of A&T’s players about potential gambling violations.
However, sources say at least one North Carolina A&T game this season is under investigation for suspicious wagering activity. ESPN reported Monday on the Aggies’ Jan. 9 contest against Delaware, the point spread on the first half moved from Delaware being favored by two points to Delaware being favored by 3.5. That was out of proportion to the full-game spread of 4.5 points, drawing the attention of gambling monitoring services.
Delaware led by six points at halftime, covering the first-half spread, and won the game by 10, 98–88.
In mid-January, ESPN reported that a betting integrity firm flagged a game between Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan due to unusual wagering activity. Large wagers were placed on Central Michigan to cover the first-half spread in the game, according to gambling watchdog firm Integrity Compliance 360. The firm also sent an alert regarding suspicious betting activity on the Wright State game at Eastern Michigan on Dec. 21.
ESPN named Mississippi Valley State as a third school under investigation. Multiple sources tell SI the list of involved schools could reach seven or more as the investigation progresses at both the federal and NCAA levels.
SI reported last week the Eastern District of Pennsylvania’s U.S. Attorney’s office is handling an inquiry into suspicious wagering activity on at least one Temple men’s basketball game last March, against UAB, according to sources. In that game, the first-half wagering line jumped from UAB being favored by 1.5 points to the Blazers being favored by eight, which prompted an alert from the monitoring service U.S. Integrity. Some betting outlets stopped accepting wagers on the game, which UAB won 100–72, after leading by 15 points at halftime.
A player at the center of that inquiry is former Temple guard Hysier “Fabb” Miller, who was the Owls’ leading scorer last season. Miller scored eight points and committed three turnovers in the game, making 3-of-9 field goal attempts. Miller transferred from Temple to Virginia Tech during the offseason but was dismissed by the Hokies before this season began for what the school said was “circumstances prior to his enrollment at Virginia Tech.”
Miller sat down for a five-hour interview with NCAA Enforcement representatives last fall, according to his attorney, Jason P. Bologna.
“The NCAA takes sports betting very seriously and is committed to the protection of student-athlete well-being and the integrity of competition,” the NCAA said in a statement to SI last week. “The Association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever suspicious reports are received. Due to confidentiality rules put in place by NCAA member schools, the NCAA will not comment on current, pending or potential investigations.”
Former NBA player Jontay Porter admitted to manipulating his performance in games last season for gambling purposes, and current NBA player Terry Rozier is under investigation for allegedly doing the same in a 2023 game while a member of the Charlotte Hornets. Individuals who made wagers involving those two players also are under investigation for influencing the outcome of college games, sources tell SI.
Beyond Porter, who was charged with conspiracy in July, at least four other men have been arrested in connection with his case.
A Las Vegas man was arrested in January at the airport while attempting to flee the country. Shane Hennen was arrested at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on a one-way ticket to Colombia. According to a court filing, Hennen was attempting to board the flight when he was arrested, and enforcement agents found him in possession of multiple cellphones and nearly $10,000 in cash.
Another man charged in the Porter scheme, Long Phi “Bruce” Pham, was arrested last June while attempting to board a flight in New York City for Australia. According to government documents, “Pham had in his possession, among other things, approximately $12,000 in cash; two cashier’s checks totaling $80,000; a series of betting slips; and three cellular phones.” Pham pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to commit wire fraud in October.
Two additional men, Timothy McCormack of New York and Mahmud Mollah of Lansdale, Pa., have been charged in the Porter case, as well.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Three Men’s College Basketball Programs Identified in Alleged Game-Fixing Scheme.