Report: College basketball program investigated for alleged betting activity

Fresno State’s men’s basketball team is being investigated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and its university over three players’ alleged ties to sports betting, as per media reports.

Two players, Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins, are currently unavailable to play after “being withheld from competition as the university reviews an eligibility matter” after the decision was made on Saturday.

A third player, Mykell Robinson, has since been removed from the team having not played a game since January 11, according to an ESPN report.

The school added that there will be no further comment at this time.

According to a Fresno Bee report, it is unclear whether the players involved placed any wagers or whether wagers were placed on or against the team.

Weaver and Collins were leading the team in scoring, averaging 12.5 and 12 points per game, with Collins leading the team in assists.

This season, Fresno State has already broken the number of losses sustained in a single season, with a 5-23 record and are 1-16 in the Mountain West Conference.

In a statement reported by the Fresno Bee, the Mountain West Conference said: “The Mountain West has been in communication with Fresno State as the institution processes a review of an eligibility matter.”

Fresno State’s 72-69 loss to Air Force on Saturday, February 22, came amid a 10-game losing streak.

Fresno State next play on March 2 against Boise State.

Last year, the NCAA made calls to outlaw college prop bets in an attempt to protect student athletes and the sport’s integrity.

Over the course of the year, several states, including Ohio and Louisiana, banned college prop bets, with New Jersey in November edging closer to banning the vertical.