A sweeping federal investigation has exposed one of the largest gambling scandals in college basketball history.
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Twenty men have been charged in a point-shaving scheme that allegedly involved 39 players across 17 Division I programs and resulted in 29 manipulated games, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, as relayed by ESPN.
Fifteen of the defendants are current or former college players from the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. Two of the names, Cedquavious Hunter and Dyquavian Short, were already sanctioned by the NCAA in November for fixing games involving New Orleans.
Four other players named in the indictment have appeared in games within the past week. Authorities say the alleged conduct tied to Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart, Camian Shell and Oumar Koureissi occurred at previous schools and does not involve games from this season.
"This was a massive scheme that enveloped the world of college basketball," U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said at a news conference. "This was a significant and rampant corruption of college athletics."
The charges include bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy. Bribery carries a maximum sentence of five years, while wire fraud charges can result in up to 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors identified five defendants as fixers rather than players. Two of them, Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley, were previously charged in a separate federal gambling case tied to the NBA. Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney was named in the indictment but not charged, with prosecutors noting he faces charges elsewhere.
According to the 70-page filing, the scheme began in September 2022 and initially targeted games in the Chinese Basketball Association before expanding to college basketball. Players were allegedly paid between $10,000 and $30,000 to influence outcomes for betting purposes.
NCAA president Charlie Baker said the organization has opened betting integrity investigations involving roughly 40 players from 20 schools over the past year and called on regulators to eliminate collegiate prop bets to better protect athletes and competition integrity.
