A huge gambling scandal has rocked college basketball. More than 39 players from 17 NCAA Division I teams took part in a point-shaving plot. This means they agreed to lose or underperform on purpose so gamblers could win big bets. The scheme fixed dozens of games over the last two seasons. Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania revealed this on Thursday with a 70-page indictment.
The gambling ring made millions from bets on these rigged games. It involved 26 defendants charged so far. Twenty of them played college basketball in the 2023-24 or 2024-25 seasons. Shockingly, four players, Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart, Camian Shell, and Oumar Koureissi, played for their teams as recently as last week. But the charges against Hart, Shell, and Koureissi come from their old schools. Cottle's issue was from the 2023-24 season. No charges link to this current season.
The indictment names 17 schools. Players from these teams allegedly took bribes to throw games:
Schools reacted fast. Eastern Michigan suspended Carlos Hart from all team activities until the case ends. Kennesaw State put Simeon Cottle on indefinite suspension. Cottle was their star player, Conference USA preseason player of the year. He averages 20.2 points per game this season. Just Wednesday, he scored 21 points, including five of the last eight, to help the Owls beat Florida International.
Prosecutors call five defendants "fixers." These were the recruiters. They had ties to basketball, like trainers or people with connections. They targeted players by promising cash that would beat or match what players get from Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. Bribes ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per player. In return, players had to underperform, like missing shots or not covering the spread in bets.
Bettors then placed huge wagers and won millions. The plot started in September 2022 with games in China's Basketball Association (CBA). Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney, who starred at LSU and played for the Chicago Bulls from 2017-19, was key there. He fixed his own games and recruited teammates. Blakeney, now playing overseas in China and Israel, is named but not charged in this indictment, he faces separate charges.
One fixer, Shane Hennen, texted after a fixed CBA game: "Nothing guaranteed in this world but death, taxes and Chinese basketball." The group soon shifted to U.S. college games before the 2023-24 season. U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said at a news conference: "They picked these men because they were well connected in the world of college basketball. Trainers, recruiters, networkers, people of influence."
At least two fixers, Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley, face separate charges in New York for NBA gambling schemes. Fairley's lawyer, Eric Siegle, said he's reviewing the case and had no comment. Hennen's lawyer did not respond.
Everyone faces charges of bribery in sporting contests and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Fixers also get extra wire fraud counts. Bribery could mean up to 5 years in prison. Wire fraud carries up to 20 years. Players even tried recruiting teammates. For example, Saint Louis center Bradley Ezewiro, who allegedly threw a game against Duquesne, texted fixer Jalen Smith a screenshot of DePaul's Da'Sean Nelson's stats. He said: "Worst team in the big east" and "he ready to tap in." Smith replied: "Already got him."
The details paint a clear picture of how it went down.
Kennesaw State Case: Former guard Demond Robinson and Cottle got involved. A fixer sent them a photo of $100,000 in cash before their March 1, 2024, game against Queens University. Cottle, Robinson, and a third unnamed player allegedly split $40,000.
DePaul's Multiple Games: Da'Sean Nelson, Jalen Terry, Micawber Etienne, and another player agreed to underperform in three 2024 games, against Georgetown, Butler, and St. John's. Bettors wagered at least $27,000 on Georgetown to cover the first-half spread on Feb. 24. They led 41-28 at halftime. Terry scored 0 points in the first half but 16 in the second. Around halftime, Smith texted Etienne: "I love Jalen terry he perfected his job ... Sh- Nelson snapped too." The next day, Smith flew to Chicago and paid them $40,000 cash.
Against St. John's, bettors put down over $52,000 that DePaul wouldn't cover the first-half spread. Terry scored nothing in the first half; Nelson got just 4 points. Smith texted Etienne during the game, upset about a non-involved player doing well. Etienne replied they'd keep the ball away from him. Nelson and Terry are charged here; Etienne faces separate charges.
Fordham's Failed Fix: Elijah Gray and a teammate tried to underperform against Duquesne on Feb. 23, 2024. Bettors risked $195,000 that Fordham wouldn't cover. Fordham still won. Gray texted Smith: "I tried," noting Duquesne played poorly. Smith replied: "You did your job for sure." Gray transferred to Wisconsin, got dismissed in October, and faces separate charges.
Metcalf noted: "In basketball, one player can substantially influence a game. But it's not a guarantee." He called the scheme "very successful" overall.
NCAA President Charlie Baker said enforcement staff already investigated about 40 players from 20 schools last year, including nearly all teams in this case. "The Association has and will continue to aggressively pursue sports betting violations... using a layered integrity monitoring program that covers over 22,000 contests," Baker stated. He urged players: "Make well-informed choices to avoid jeopardizing the game and your eligibility."
This isn't isolated. Similar scandals hit the NBA, MLB, and UFC recently. Metcalf blamed the rise of sports betting and athlete pay: "The monetization of college athletics... furthered the enterprise." Baker wrote to state gambling regulators Thursday, pushing to ban prop bets to protect games.
Victims go beyond bet losers, Metcalf said: "Fans, honest athletes, teammates working their tails off. Everyone is victimized."
This college basketball point-shaving bombshell, ensnaring 39+ players across 17 NCAA teams, doesn't just taint 2023-25 seasons, it exposes NIL temptations, betting vulnerabilities, and integrity cracks from DePaul flops to Kennesaw cash pics, forcing schools like Eastern Michigan and NCAA's Baker to suspend stars and probe games amid prop bet pleas.
Bankroll U tracks these sports scandals in real time, slicing through gambling schemes to uncover fixes, integrity edges, and angles on college hoops turmoil unfolding. Our Playmakers monitor these stories, and how they reshape futures odds, and player eligibility.
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