The federal investigation into a gambling ring over its involvement with a pair of NBA betting cases has been linked to unusual betting activity with at least three men’s college basketball programs, according to ESPN’s David Purdum.
The investigation, which started with former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter and has since expanded to involve longtime guard Terry Rozier, has expanded to the college level. At least three programs — North Carolina A&T, Mississippi Valley State and Eastern Michigan — are now connected.
According to the report, a pair of games this season involving Eastern Michigan were flagged due to unusual activity. In both games, first against Wright State on Dec. 21 and again on Jan. 16 against Central Michigan, sportsbooks noticed suspicious activity betting against the Eagles in the first half. Similar trends were spotted in a Jan. 9 game with North Carolina A&T and Delaware.
Further specifics on the allegations, or who from the three programs may be involved, are still unknown. The three programs did not respond to ESPN’s request to comment, though North Carolina A&T confirmed that it suspended three players recently due to violations of “well-established team rules.” It’s unclear if that’s involved with the gambling allegations or not.
“The NCAA takes sports betting very seriously and is committed to the protection of student-athlete well-being and the integrity of competition,” the NCAA said in a statement, via ESPN. “The Association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever suspicious reports are received. Due to confidentiality rules put in place by NCAA member schools, the NCAA will not comment on current or potential investigations.”
Porter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in the gambling scandal last year, which resulted in him being permanently banned from the NBA. Porter is the brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr. Five men were charged with conspiring with Porter. Three of them have already pleaded guilty, and two others are in plea negotiations, per the report.
Rozier, who is currently with the Miami Heat, is the subject of an investigation as part of that probe, though the NBA said it conducted its own investigation and did not find a violation. The incident stems from a 2023 game when he was with the Charlotte Hornets and he left after 10 minutes with a foot injury.
The investigation is also looking at a potential point-shaving incident with former Temple player Hysier Miller, who allegedly bet on games that he played in last season.
North Carolina A&T holds a 4-19 record heading into Thursday’s game at Charleston. The Aggies have lost nine straight. Mississippi Valley State sits at 3-19 on the year, though the Delta Devils just snapped a 12-game losing skid with a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Eastern Michigan sits at 10-11 headed into Tuesday’s game against Kent State.
