November 7, 2025 – In a stark reminder of the growing threats posed by sports betting to the integrity of amateur athletics, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced on Friday that it has permanently banned six former Division I men's basketball players for their roles in game manipulation schemes and providing false information to investigators. The decisions, released by the NCAA's Committee on Infractions, stem from three separate enforcement investigations involving the University of New Orleans (UNO), Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU), and Arizona State University (ASU). While the cases are not interconnected, they collectively highlight a disturbing pattern of student-athletes exploiting insider knowledge for financial gain through illegal betting activities.
The banned players are: Cedquavious Hunter, Dyquavian Short, and Jamond Vincent from UNO; Donovan Sanders and Alvin Stredic from MVSU; and Chatton "BJ" Freeman from ASU. All six individuals had already exhausted their NCAA eligibility and were no longer enrolled at their respective institutions at the time of the rulings. According to the NCAA's official statement, the violations included "betting-related game manipulation and/or student-athletes providing information to known bettors," which breached the organization's ethical conduct rules and resulted in immediate permanent ineligibility. Compounding the infractions, each player "knowingly provided false or misleading information" during the investigative process, demonstrating a profound lack of cooperation that further justified the severe penalties.
The cases were resolved through negotiated resolutions with the involved universities, meaning the schools themselves faced no institutional penalties, as the violations were isolated to the players and did not implicate coaches, staff, or programs. However, the NCAA emphasized that these incidents underscore the need for enhanced education and monitoring to protect the sanctity of college sports. "The integrity of competition is paramount," the organization stated in its release. "These violations erode trust in our games and serve as a cautionary tale for all student-athletes."
Details of the Violations: A Pattern of Manipulation and Deception
At UNO, the most egregious case unfolded across seven games during the 2024-25 season, spanning December 2024 and January 2025. Hunter, Short, and Vincent—three of the Privateers' top five scorers—allegedly conspired with external bettors to intentionally underperform, aiming to influence point spreads and prop bets. NCAA investigators uncovered text messages where Vincent urged third parties to place bets on a December 28, 2024, matchup against McNeese State, explicitly noting plans to "throw the game" given the 24-point spread. UNO ultimately lost by 25 points, aligning suspiciously with the manipulated outcome. Further evidence included Short and Hunter discussing a $5,000 payout in messages, followed by FaceTime calls with a flagged bettor who instructed them to "lay it down" for the next contest. A teammate even overheard the trio plotting with a third party who placed bets on their behalf.
The probe at UNO was triggered by an anonymous tip to the NCAA about potential game-fixing, leading to a deeper dive into betting patterns flagged by integrity monitoring services. In late January 2025, the university suspended the players for unspecified team rule violations, effectively ending their seasons. None returned to the court, and their permanent bans close the chapter on any future NCAA participation.
Meanwhile, at MVSU, a Division I program in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Sanders and Stredic were implicated in providing insider information to bettors for at least three games, including a pivotal January 6, 2025, loss to Alabama A&M (79-67). The betting handle for that game was 3.6 times higher than the average for SWAC contests, raising red flags with sportsbooks. Investigators learned from a teammate that Sanders had been overheard on a December 2024 call discussing "throwing the game" against Tulsa, even attempting to recruit another player into the scheme to assure the bettor of multiple participants. Both Sanders and Stredic, key scorers for the Delta Devils, accepted offers of money to influence outcomes, though the NCAA did not specify amounts.
The MVSU investigation originated from public reports in February 2025 about an NBA-linked gambling ring with potential ties to college basketball, prompting the NCAA to consult an integrity firm for transaction reviews. Suspicious activity traced back to games around Christmas 2024, revealing a broader scheme unconnected to UNO but equally damning.
ASU's case centered on Freeman, a standout guard who averaged 13.7 points, 2.6 assists, and led the team in three-point attempts during the 2024-25 season. Unlike the others, Freeman was the only player to fully participate in a negotiated resolution, admitting to his violations. Text records from former Fresno State player Mykell Robinson—himself banned in September 2025—showed Freeman tipping off bets on four occasions between November and December 2024, including prop wagers on his turnovers against Florida (December 14, 2024), where he recorded just one despite expectations of more. Freeman also shared details with his then-girlfriend for two additional bets via daily fantasy sports platforms. ASU, a power-conference school in the Big 12, booted Freeman from the team in February 2025; his brief commitment to UCF in the spring never materialized.
A Broader Crisis: From College Courts to Professional Arenas
These bans mark the latest chapter in a widening NCAA gambling probe that began gaining steam earlier this year. In September 2025, the Committee on Infractions permanently revoked eligibility for three other Division I men's basketball players—Mykell Robinson and Isaiah Wright from Fresno State, and Miles Byrd from San Jose State—for similar infractions, including betting on their own games and performance manipulation. That announcement followed reports of suspicious betting on games involving at least 13 players across six schools, including ASU, MVSU, UNO, Temple, Eastern Michigan, and North Carolina A&T. The NCAA has since expanded its scrutiny to approximately 30 current and former players, with additional decisions expected before the end of the 2025-26 season. Temple remains the only unresolved case among those initially flagged.
This college-level turmoil coincides with a seismic scandal in the professional ranks. Just weeks ago, on October 23, 2025, U.S. federal authorities unsealed two indictments charging over 30 individuals, including NBA figures, in schemes involving insider betting and Mafia-backed illegal gambling operations. Among the defendants: Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, a 2024 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and 2004 NBA Finals MVP; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier; and former NBA player and coach Damon "Mister Swish" Jones, a onetime shooting mentor to LeBron James.
Billups, 48, faces charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering for allegedly participating in rigged high-stakes poker games organized by four New York Mafia families between 2019 and 2023. Prosecutors claim the games lured unsuspecting players—often celebrities—with promises of fair play, only for insiders to cheat via marked cards and signaled hands, pocketing millions while Mafia associates collected "vigorish" (a cut of winnings) and pursued debtors. Billups' attorney, Chris Heywood, vehemently denied the allegations, calling his client "a man of integrity" who will "fight these charges with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career." Billups was arrested in Portland shortly after a season-opening loss and placed on indefinite leave by the NBA, with assistant Tiago Splitter assuming interim duties.
Rozier, 31, in his 11th NBA season, was indicted in a parallel scheme for using nonpublic information to facilitate fraudulent prop bets on at least seven games from February 2023 to March 2024. In one instance, he allegedly tipped off co-conspirators about faking an injury to exit a March 2023 game early, enabling $200,000 in "under" bets on his stats, from which he reportedly took a cut. Rozier was arrested in Orlando during the Heat's opener against the Magic and similarly suspended without pay by the league, though the National Basketball Players Association is challenging the move. His lawyer, Mike Trusty, insisted Rozier is "not a gambler" and was previously cleared by the NBA, attributing the charges to revived "non-case." An $8 million IRS tax lien from the period adds another layer of financial scrutiny.
Jones, 49, bridges both indictments, charged alongside Billups in the poker fraud and with Rozier in the betting conspiracy. As an "unofficial assistant" for the Lakers, he allegedly sold injury intel and other privileged details to bettors. Jones' history of gambling addiction, which reportedly cost him millions post-retirement, was cited by sources as a vulnerability.
The NBA, which has aggressively expanded gambling partnerships since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling legalizing sports betting in 39 states plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, responded swiftly. Commissioner Adam Silver placed Billups and Rozier on leave, stating the league takes the allegations "with the utmost seriousness" and prioritizes game integrity. Silver noted the FBI's subpoena powers unearthed evidence beyond the league's reach, prompting a policy review—including potential bans on athlete prop bets, a longtime NCAA demand. An NCAA study revealed 67% of on-campus students engage in sports betting, with 41% wagering on their schools and 35% using student bookies, amplifying risks in a $150 billion annual industry.
Implications and the Road Ahead
These developments have sent shockwaves through basketball, evoking echoes of the 1951 point-shaving scandal that tarnished college hoops. NCAA President Charlie Baker has lobbied Congress to curb prop betting, arguing it incentivizes individual manipulation over team outcomes. The FBI's involvement, including probes into mid-major programs, suggests more revelations loom, potentially intersecting college and pro levels via shared gambling networks.
For the banned players, the consequences extend beyond sports: federal felony charges could follow, as seen with Jontay Porter's guilty plea in a prior NBA case. Universities like UNO, MVSU, and ASU must now reinforce compliance, perhaps mandating gambling education akin to Title IX training. As one analyst noted, "Sports betting's allure is devouring the soul of competition—from campus gyms to NBA arenas."
In total, these events expose a systemic vulnerability in an era where apps like FanDuel and DraftKings saturate youth culture. The NCAA and NBA's cooperative stance offers hope, but only vigilant reform can restore faith in fair play. As investigations continue, the basketball world watches warily, wondering who might be next.
