Three Fresno State men’s basketball players are the subject of a sports betting inquiry, according to a report from the Fresno Bee.
The NCAA and Fresno State are investigating the program after a tip given to the school, according to university sources cited in the report.
Three players under investigation
Guards Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins were held out of Saturday’s loss to Air Force, several hours before the report dropped. The school said in a statement that they were “being withheld from competition as the University reviews an eligibility matter.”
Former Bulldog Mykell Robinson is also part of the investigation, according to the report. He was removed from the team in January. There is no timeline for any of the suspended players’ return. They were the team’s top three in minutes played this season.
The university did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
In a statement, conference officials said: “The Mountain West has been in communication with Fresno State as the institution processes a review of an eligibility matter.”
Scope of NCAA betting probe
Information is limited as to what extent the players may have been involved in any alleged betting or whether wagers were placed on or against the Bulldogs. The NCAA bans betting on games and sharing information with anyone tied to sports betting.
In January, multiple Eastern Michigan basketball players were named in an investigation tied to irregular betting on the team’s first-half point spread. Former Temple standout Hysier Miller is the subject of a federal investigation involving illicit sports betting activity, as well.
The NCAA has lobbied Congress and states to disallow player prop betting on college athletes in light of the heightened scrutiny.
Fresno State has dropped 10 straight games and is dead last in the MWC at 5-23 with just one conference win. It is the program’s worst season in its 44-year history. The Bulldogs have three games remaining on their schedule, starting with Boise State on Saturday.
