A pair of Fresno State basketball players were withheld from the team’s game against Air Force on Saturday due to an “eligibility matter” that could be tied to an investigation into alleged betting activity, the Fresno Bee reports.
The athletes are starting guards Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins, who are the team’s No. 2 and No. 3 scorers, respectively. A third player, former starter Mykell Robinson, is also involved in the investigation, according to the Bee, which cited university sources. Robinson is no longer listed on the team’s official roster.
Fresno State (5-22, 1-15 Mountain West) has dropped nine straight games under first-year coach Vance Walberg. The Bulldogs are 14-11 against the spread but just 2-5 against the spread over their last seven games. Fresno State ranks 354th of 363 Division 1 teams in points allowed per game at 81.8.
The potential gambling issue would only be the latest in college basketball. ESPN reported this month that accounts connected with a gambling ring under federal investigation for participation in two NBA betting cases have been tied to “unusual wagering activity” on at least three men’s college basketball programs.
The three schools — North Carolina A&T, Mississippi Valley State and Eastern Michigan — were all reportedly bet against by the gambling ring and flagged by betting integrity monitors at various points this season, according to ESPN.
Gambling ring under investigation involves multiple college basketball programs, per report
Kyle Boone
Last season Temple was ensared in a reported case of suspicious gambling activity. Former Owls guard Hysier Miller was ultimately dismissed from Virginia Tech early this season in connection with what is believed to be a federal investigation into gambling allegations.