The Fresno State Bulldogs basketball team is now under investigation regarding suspected betting activities by some of their players this season.
The investigation is being conducted by the NCAA and the university. According to NCAA rules, college athletes are not allowed to bet on sports at the professional, college, or amateur levels.
Guards Zaon Collins and Jalen Weaver, two of the Bulldogs’ highest scoring players, are being witheld from team activities until the results of the investigation are known.
Weaver is averaging 12.2 points per game and Collins is averaging 12.
“Fresno State men’s basketball student-athletes Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins are being withheld from competition as the university reviews an eligibility matter,”
A Statement From FSU To The Fresno Bee
Forward Mykell Robinson is no longer with the program. Robinson was dismissed from the team on January 11th. He was averaging 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Fresno State is amid a 10-game losing streak. Their current record is 5-23, which is already a record for the most losses in a Bulldogs season.
All student athletes competing in the NCAA are not allowed to provide information to outside parties that are involved in betting on sports. Any violations will cause them to become inelegible to compete.
The Fresno State student-athlete handbook states that betting on programs other than Fresno State will result in a one-year ban from the team. If any player bets on Fresno State, they will be removed from the team and become ineligible for life.
While this issue not exclusive to the game of basketball, the unique nature of the competition allows for stat shaving that is less obvious to teammates and fans.
The expansion of sports betting has caused for new markets to emerge that include prop bets for total points, rebounds, steals, and assists, all stats that are laregly in control of each individual player.
Where sportsbooks get wise is when an unusual number of wagers are submitted for a single player in a given game. When this happens, the books usually take a big loss, so it itcentivices them to report the activity to the sport’s governing body.
In this case, it is the NCAA, but the NBA has also had issues with its players shaving stats and offering up the information to outside parties. Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors recently admitted to stat shaving. Terry Rozier of the Charlotte Hornets is also suspected of altering his performance for the purposes of sports betting.