The NCAA revoked the eligibility of six men’s college basketball players Friday after investigations into three separate sports-betting cases, including allegations that players threw games to lose by more points than the spread.
According to The Associated Press, the NCAA Committee on Infractions found that 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 either manipulated performances to lose games, fail to cover bet lines, or provide information enabling others to do so during the 2024-25 season.
The actions come amid increased scrutiny over gambling in sports. Nearly three dozen people, including an NBA player and coach, were arrested last month for alleged illicit betting.
UFC President Dana White said he recently consulted the FBI over unusual betting patterns in a match. Last month, the NCAA said it was investigating at least 30 current or former players for gambling violations.
Arizona State, the only power-conference school involved, became aware of Freeman’s involvement after reviewing texts between him and Fresno State player Mykell Robinson, who was banned in September for gambling.
Freeman allegedly provided Robinson—and his then-girlfriend—information to bet on his performance in multiple games, including the Dec. 14, 2024, matchup against Florida. Arizona State lost 83-66, with Freeman recording one turnover. The Sun Devils finished 13-20.
At New Orleans, Hunter, Short, and Vincent were implicated after a student-athlete reported overhearing them discuss a third party betting on their Dec. 28, 2024, game against McNeese State, which New Orleans lost 86-61.
During a late timeout, Short allegedly told the student-athlete to stop scoring. The university suspended all three players for the remainder of the season. New Orleans President Kathy Johnson said staff were unaware of the violations.
Mississippi Valley State’s violations surfaced after an integrity monitoring service flagged suspicious betting trends in the Jan. 6 game against Alabama A&M, which the team lost 79-67. Sanders and Stredic allegedly discussed throwing the game with a third party and provided information for betting purposes.
Both are no longer enrolled.
The university emphasized reinforcing NCAA regulations to protect the integrity of college sports.
These developments coincide with the NCAA’s delayed rollout of a policy allowing student-athletes and staff to bet on professional sports.
The policy, originally set for Nov. 1, will now begin Nov. 22, with a rule allowing schools to rescind the proposal within 30 days if adopted by less than 75% of the Division I cabinet. Players are still prohibited from betting on college sports.
