NCAA bans six college basketball players after gambling investigation reveals game-fixing at three schools

The NCAA Committee on Infractions released on Friday decisions regarding three Division I schools and six college basketball players in unconnected cases, each involving illegal gambling and/or game-manipulation activity.

The players formerly played at Arizona State, Mississippi Valley State and New Orleans. None of the schools are being punished, as the NCAA determined the coaches and most other players were not involved in or aware of the unconnected schemes.

"While the cases at each school are not directly related, the violations for each case involved betting-related game manipulation and/or student-athletes providing information to known bettors," according to the NCAA's release. "Additionally, all three cases involved lack of cooperation by student-athletes, who knowingly provided false or misleading information to investigators. As a result of the sports betting violations, the student-athletes all violated ethical conduct rules, triggering permanent ineligibility."

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BJ Freeman is the biggest name of them all. The former Arizona State guard was second on the team in scoring in 2024-25, averaging 13.7 points, in addition to 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He will never play college basketball again, nor will the former players at Mississippi Valley State and New Orleans: Cedquavious Hunter (UNO), Dyquavian Short (UNO), Jamond Vincent (UNO), Donovan Sanders (MVSU) and Alvin Stredic (MVSU).

Freeman's case was first reported by CBS Sports in September. The NCAA uncovered his infractions while looking into a different case tied to former Fresno State basketball player Mykell Robinson. 

"Records on Robinson's phone indicated that on four separate occasions between November and December 2024, Freeman knowingly provided information to Robinson, who was betting on Freeman through daily fantasy sports accounts," according to the Committee on Infractions report. "Freeman also knowingly provided information on at least two occasions to his then-girlfriend, who was also betting on Freeman. When interviewed by enforcement staff, Freeman knowingly provided false or misleading information when he denied sharing information with Robinson and his then-girlfriend. He also denied having a daily fantasy sports account — which was under his name and email address — into which he had made deposits while competing at a previous school."

Freeman attempted to hit the overs on his point totals, turnovers, assists and 3-pointers made, per the NCAA's findings. He was kicked off the team last February, though a source told CBS Sports the reason for removing him from ASU's program was not tied to his gambling actions. Freeman announced his commitment to UCF last spring, only to learn he'd never play college basketball again.

At New Orleans, the nefarious behavior was even more blatant. Per the NCAA's findings, "a student-athlete reported overhearing Cedquavious Hunter, Dyquavian Short and Jamond Vincent discussing a third party placing a bet for them on their Dec. 28, 2024, game. That same student-athlete reported that during a timeout near the end of the game, Short instructed him not to score any more points." 

The three players were suspended at the end of January last season and never played again. The players are alleged to have opted in to game-fixing seven times last season with the program in the Southland Conference. All of the attempts at manipulating game outcomes were played in December and January.

"Text messages on Vincent's phone indicated that he texted three third parties with instructions to bet on that Dec. 28 game because he and his teammates planned to 'throw the game,'" the NCAA's release states. "Text messages recovered from Short's phone included an exchange between Short and Hunter, in which they discussed receiving $5,000. Short and Hunter participated in FaceTime calls on the same day with a known bettor who told them to 'lay it down' for the next game." 

At MVSU, the NCAA claims it found more of the same, albeit in another scheme that was unconnected to the activity at UNO. The NCAA's probe began with MVSU's 79-67 loss at Alabama A&M on Jan. 6, but as the investigation continued in 2025, they uncovered game-fixing dating back to the week of Christmas last season.

"During an interview with the enforcement staff, a men's basketball student-athlete said that before the team's Dec. 21, 2024, game, he overheard Donovan Sanders on the phone with an unknown third party talking about 'throwing the game,'" the NCAA states. "Sanders asked the student-athlete to participate in the call because the third party had told Sanders the individual intended to bet on the game and wanted to know that another of Sanders' teammates would participate in the scheme. The student-athlete denied altering his performance or receiving money from Sanders or any other individuals. Sanders texted the same student-athlete after that game and told him to delete their messages."

The NCAA subsequently determined Sanders and Stredic were presented with money if they helped ensure MVSU lost its Jan. 6 game at Alabama A&M. 

This is the second infractions announcement tied to college basketball in the past two months. The NCAA continues to work through more potential cases of wrongdoing, sources said, with the potential for another round of infractions to be handed down before the end of the 2025-26 season. Meanwhile, the FBI — which just recently went public with its NBA-affiliated gambling investigation — continues to work on its inquiries into illegal gambling, fraud and other money conspiracies in college basketball, primarily at mid/low-major programs, per sources. 

For its part, the NCAA and its president, Charlie Baker, have lobbied to eliminate player prop bets on gambling apps and at casinos. Prop bets can lead to illegal activity, like the cases depicted above, and can trigger frequent online harassment from gamblers toward college athletes.