Two Fresno State Basketball Players Suspended as Sports Betting Scandal Unfolds

^{Fresno State head coach Vance Walberg (right) reported to the university that guard Zaon Collins (left) and other players appeared to be involved in illicit betting activity. (Image: Eli Lucero / AP)}

Two players on the Fresno State University Bulldogs men’s basketball team have been suspended from the team and another has been removed from the program due to allegations that the three were tied to illicit sports betting.

According to ESPN, guards Jalen Waver and Zaon Collins were suspended from the team on Saturday, while forward Mykell Robinson, who hasn’t played since Jan. 11, has been removed from the team.

Players Allegedly Placed ‘Under’ Bets on Own Team

ABC affiliate KFSN reported that Robinson and Weaver allegedly placed Under prop bets on points and rebounds. Collins allegedly placed bets on professional sports. NCAA rules prohibit players, coaches, or staff from betting on any games or providing information to individuals who are betting on games.

According to media reports, Fresno State head coach Vance Walberg discovered the gambling activity and notified administration officials at the school. That began an internal investigation, after which the school soon notified the NCAA of what it had found. 

Fresno State has issued only a short statement saying that Weaver and Collins “are being withheld from competition as the university reviews an eligibility matter.”

“The University and Athletics Department will have no further comments regarding the matter at this time,” Fresno State Athletics said in a statement. 

Collins came to the Fresno State team this season after pleading guilty to felony reckless driving after an incident that resulted in the death of 52-year-oldLas Vegas resident Eric Echevarria. Collins served 56 days in jail following a plea deal. Collins had previously said he saw his time in Fresno State as a second chance.

“You know, some teenagers, it’s like a domino effect,” Collins told KFSN Action News last October. “They get in trouble, and then they get in trouble again. They think something is wrong, and they give up on life. I want to start a program to help the youth to be better.”

Fresno State Having Historically Bad Season

The news comes as Fresno State has lost 10 straight games, giving the team a record of 5-23. That marks a program record for most losses in a season. 

Weaver and Collins were two of the Bulldogs’ regular starters, and were both among the leading scorers for the team. Weaver is averaging 12.5 points per game, while Collins is averaging 12.0 points and leads the team with 4.7 assists per game.  Weaver and Collins each sat out of Saturday’s game against Air Force, in which the Bulldogs lost 72-69 in overtime after dressing only seven players.

The reported wagers on Under markets brings up the specter of point shaving, a gambling scandal in which players or teams purposely underperform to help gamblers win point spreads and prop bets without changing the overall outcome of a game. Famous point shaving scandals impacted CCNY in 1951, as well as the Arizona State Sun Devils in the 1993-1994 season.

Push to Ban College Prop Bets 

With prop bets seemingly more vulnerable to manipulation at the collegiate level, some states have moved to ban such wagers, particularly those on individual players. 

Meanwhile, the NCAA has asked for federal action on sports betting, with NCAA president Charlie Baker telling the Senate Judiciary Committee in December that he would like a ban on individual player prop bets, which are currently legal in about 20 states.

The NCAA has yet to comment on the Fresno State situation. However, it referenced its overall policies in a statement.

“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 its statement. “The Association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever reports are received.