Another major sports betting scandal has sent shockwaves through college basketball, as federal prosecutors unveiled a sweeping point-shaving scheme that allegedly compromised dozens of games and ensnared players across 17 NCAA Division I programs.
A 70-page federal indictment unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania alleges that a sophisticated gambling ring fixed games over the past two seasons by bribing college players to intentionally underperform. Authorities say more than 39 players were involved, with 26 defendants charged overall — 20 of whom played college basketball during the 2023-24 and/or 2024-25 seasons.
Prosecutors allege the scheme was orchestrated by a group of five “fixers” who recruited players and paid bribes ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game. Those fixers then placed bets worth millions of dollars on manipulated outcomes, primarily targeting point spreads and first-half lines.
Four players named in the indictment — Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart, Camian Shell and Oumar Koureissi — appeared in games within the past week. None of the allegations involving those players stem from the current season, but schools acted swiftly after the indictment became public.
Eastern Michigan announced Hart has been suspended from all team activities pending the outcome of the case. Kennesaw State suspended Cottle indefinitely. The allegations against Hart, Shell and Koureissi relate to previous schools, while Cottle’s alleged involvement occurred during the 2023-24 season.
Cottle’s case is among the most high-profile. The Conference USA preseason player of the year, he is averaging a team-high 20.2 points per game this season and scored 21 points Wednesday night in Kennesaw State’s win over Florida International. According to prosecutors, Cottle and former Kennesaw State guard Demond Robinson allegedly received $40,000 to shave points in a March 1, 2024 game against Queens University. The indictment claims a fixer sent the players a photo of roughly $100,000 in cash ahead of the game.
Scope of the Scheme
Schools named in the indictment include:
- Abilene Christian
- Alabama State
- Buffalo
- Coppin State
- DePaul
- Eastern Michigan
- Fordham
- Kennesaw State
- La Salle
- New Orleans
- Nicholls State
- North Carolina A&T
- Northwestern State
- Robert Morris
- Saint Louis
- Southern Miss
- Tulane
Prosecutors say athletes sometimes tried to recruit other players themselves. In one example outlined in the indictment, Saint Louis center Bradley Ezewiro allegedly texted fixer Jalen Smith about DePaul forward Da’Sean Nelson, calling DePaul the “worst team in the Big East” and saying Nelson was “ready to tap in.” Smith responded, “Already got him.”
Authorities allege Nelson and teammates Jalen Terry, Micawber Etienne and another unnamed player agreed to underperform in three games during the 2024 season. Bettors wagered tens of thousands of dollars on specific first-half outcomes, which prosecutors say unfolded exactly as planned. Text messages cited in the indictment describe fixers praising players for “perfecting” their roles and arranging cash payments the following day.
Not every attempt worked. In one instance, bettors placed nearly $195,000 on Fordham failing to cover the spread against Duquesne. Even though Fordham players allegedly tried to underperform, the Rams still won. Afterward, one player texted, “I tried,” according to the indictment. The fixer replied, “You did your job for sure.”
At least two alleged fixers — Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley — were also charged in a separate federal case in New York involving gambling schemes tied to the NBA. Both face counts of bribery in sporting contests and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The bribery charges carry a maximum sentence of five years, while wire fraud charges can bring up to 20 years in prison.
Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney was named but not charged in this indictment, though he faces separate charges. Prosecutors allege Blakeney helped recruit players and offered bribes. A standout at LSU before playing two seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Blakeney later competed overseas in China and Israel. Authorities say the scheme began in late 2022 by fixing games in the Chinese Basketball Association, where Blakeney allegedly manipulated his own performance and brought in teammates.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf called the operation “very successful,” noting that it expanded deliberately into college basketball by leveraging fixers with deep ties to the sport.
Following the indictment, NCAA president Charlie Baker said the organization has opened betting-integrity investigations into roughly 40 players from 20 schools over the past year, including “almost all of the teams in today’s indictment.” Baker also sent a letter to state gambling regulators urging changes to betting laws, specifically calling for the elimination of prop betting to better protect athletes.
The case marks the latest in a growing series of sports betting scandals across professional and collegiate sports, including the NBA, MLB and UFC. As legalized gambling continues to expand nationwide, the college basketball scandal underscores the mounting challenges facing regulators, schools and law enforcement in protecting the credibility of the games — and the athletes caught in the middle.
