The basketball pipeline usually goes as follows: College, then on to the NBA. This time it’s reversed, and college basketball has a major issue on its hands.
The gambling ring that conspired with former low-level NBA player Jontay Porter, and potentially a former Temple men’s basketball player, is also involved in the University of New Orleans men’s basketball scandal.
That’s according to ESPN sports betting reporter David Purdum, who has been covering the inner workings of the Porter case since the start and now its offspring scandals in college basketball.
Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68 Media Network reported early Wednesday that the previous suspensions of four of UNO’s top five scorers was due to an NCAA sports betting investigation.
Later that day, Purdum posted on ‘X’ that the same group tied to Porter also placed bets on multiple UNO games.
Porter, a former two-way player for the Toronto Raptors, is banned for life by the NBA and facing up to 20 years in prison for manipulating his over/under props to pay off gambling debts.
Sources: Gambling ring linked to NBA and college basketball betting cases placed wagers on multiple University of New Orleans games this season. Four UNO players have been suspended.https://t.co/Rlw75yMbzv
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) February 26, 2025
Ties to Temple University point-shaving scandal
Purdum previously reported that sportsbook accounts tied to the gambling ring wagered on a Temple game flagged for suspicious betting patterns last March.
The Temple scandal stems from a game against the University of Alabama-Birmingham on March 7 in which the point spread moved from UAB -2 to UAB -8 in a matter of hours.
Sportsbooks alerted U.S. Integrity, a Las Vegas company that watches for unusual betting activity.
The Owls lost 100-72 in a game that led to former star PG and leading scorer Hysier Miller being the focus of a point-shaving scandal. Purdum reported in November that federal authorities are investigating whether Miller bet on his own games and influenced the outcome.
Miller transferred to Virginia Tech last spring, but was dismissed on Oct. 23 due to the federal and NCAA investigations into the UAB game.
Miller, who averaged 15.9 points and 4.0 assists in 2023-24, scored just eight points and failed to register an assist for the first time all season.
Miller’s lawyer released a statement in November to ESPN saying:
“Hysier Miller has overcome more adversity in his 22 years than most people face in their lifetime. He will meet and overcome whatever obstacles lay ahead.”
A much bigger headache for college basketball
The group that conspired with Porter has clearly targeted off-the-radar college basketball programs. Purdum’s reporting on this issue also includes an investigation into North Carolina A&T, Mississippi Valley State and Eastern Michigan.
That’s not to even mention the story reported by the Fresno Bee last weekend. Three Fresno State players are under investigation – two for potentially betting on games in which they played.
What comes next?
The scope of this story continues to grow, which puts more pressure on the sports betting industry as a whole. Sure, the system is working: We would not hear about these stories if companies like U.S. Integrity hadn’t been spawned by widespread legalization.
However, lawmakers across the country have cracked down on college prop betting and sports betting in general. The U.S. Senate recently held a hearing on prop betting and athlete harassment.
What’s more, the SAFE Bet Act was introduced by Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal in September – the first hint that federal oversight might be on the way.
At a minimum, these college basketball scandals might lead to the nationwide elimination of college prop betting.
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