A sweeping federal indictment has dropped in a modern version of one of college basketball’s oldest scandals, detailing how players allegedly accepted cash payments to manipulate point spreads and results for gambling profit.
Twenty men were charged in a point-shaving scheme that federal prosecutors say involved 39 college basketball players on 17 NCAA Division I teams and led to 29 fixed games.
The indictment that was unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleges the scheme operated from September 2022 through 2024 and grew into what authorities described as a sprawling corruption of college athletics.
“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.”
Current D1 players named in college basketball point shaving scandal
Prosecutors said the betting operation began overseas, initially fixing games in the Chinese Basketball Association before shifting focus to U.S. College basketball, where betting markets were vulnerable to inside access. By placing wagers on games they had manipulated, the defendants “defrauded sportsbooks, as well as individual sports bettors,” the indictment said.
NCAA president Charlie Baker said the organization has opened or completed betting-integrity investigations into roughly 40 players from 20 schools over the past year.
According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, four current CBB players are named in the indictment.
- Kennesaw State's Simeon Cottle (20.2 PPG, preseason CUSA POY)
- Eastern Michigan's Carlos Hart (13.1 PPG, 32.1 Mins PG)
- Delaware State's Camian Shell (8.0 PPG, 23.9 Mins PG in 7 games)
- Texas Southern's Oumar Koureissi (4.9 PPG, 17.5 Mins PG in 8 games)
Borzello notes that the allegations against Hart, Shell and Koureissi stem from their time at previous schools. Hart previously played at New Orleans, Shell at North Carolina A&T, and Kourseissi at Nicholls State. Incidents in question pertaining to Cottle occurred during Kennesaw State's 2023-24 season.
Baker urged states and regulators to eliminate collegiate prop bets, calling them a persistent threat to competitive integrity and athlete protection.
“The Association has and will continue to aggressively pursue sports betting violations in college athletics using a layered integrity monitoring program that covers over 22,000 contests, but we still need the remaining states, regulators and gaming companies to eliminate threats to integrity—such as collegiate prop bets—to better protect athletes and leagues from integrity risks and predatory bettors," Baker said.
"We also will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement. We urge all student-athletes to make well-informed choices to avoid jeopardizing the game and their eligibility.”
Notable bets listed in point shaving scandal
According to the 70-page indictment, fixers targeted players willing to alter performance in subtle but lucrative ways — missing shots, committing turnovers, fouling at key moments or suppressing scoring in first halves — all designed to influence betting lines without guaranteeing a loss. Prosecutors say bribes ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per game, with at least one alleged payment climbing to $40,000.
For the 29 games, this is a range between $290,000 and $1.1 million.
Fifteen of the defendants were players during the 2023-24 and/or 2024-25 seasons. Two — Cedquavious Hunter and Dyquavian Short — were previously sanctioned by the NCAA in November for fixing New Orleans games. Four others named in the indictment have appeared for their current teams in recent days, despite the allegations stemming from prior seasons or schools.
Among the Wagers listed in the indictment
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 15, 2026
*Approximately $458,000 on Towson to beat UNC A&T
*Approximately $424,000 on Kent State to cover the first-half spread against Buffalo
* $275,000 on South Alabama to cover the first-half spread of against Southern Miss
* $256,000 on… pic.twitter.com/ErZlshW632
Kennesaw State guard Simeon Cottle is alleged to have accepted $40,000 to manipulate a first-half performance in a March 1, 2024 game. Despite the allegation, Cottle has played all 17 games this season and leads the Owls in scoring at 20.2 points per game.
Cottle played Wednesday night and was KSU's leading scorer with 21 points in the Owls' victory over FIU.
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