Former DePaul players and former Bulls player Antonio Blakeney charged in scheme to rig games

Federal authorities have brought down a sweeping betting scheme that rigged NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games, ensnaring 26 people, including three former DePaul basketball players and a former Chicago Bulls player. The indictment reveals a coordinated effort to bribe Division-I college players, including those on the Blue Demons team, which had the worst record in school history at just 3-29.

The scheme began in September 2022, with "fixers" targeting top scorers like Antonio Blakeney, who scored 21 points below his average in a game for the Jiangsu Dragons. Blakeney, 29, was accused of bribing DePaul teammates Jalen Terry and Da'Sean Nelson to participate in point shaving, receiving a one-time payment of $200,000.

Players were paid millions of dollars by fixers, with payments ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game. In exchange, players helped rig games by recruiting other players. DePaul's coach Tony Stubblefield was fired in January amid the team's dismal performance, which may have made them an attractive target for gamblers.

The scheme involved more than 39 players on 17 Division-I teams and over 29 games, with fixers betting millions of dollars. The indictment also revealed that former DePaul player Micawber "Mac" Etienne was bribed in February 2024 and enlisted Terry, Nelson, and another player to participate in the scheme.

The Blue Demons' athletic director DeWayne Peevy declined to comment, while Stubblefield, now an assistant coach at Oregon, did not respond to a text or interview request. The university has stated that it will cooperate fully with any investigation and strengthen its education and monitoring efforts to protect student-athletes.

This latest scandal follows a series of high-profile betting scandals in college sports, including the NCAA's crackdown on players betting on professional sports. The American Gaming Association reported that gambling revenue topped $11 billion for the first three-quarters of last year, up 13% from the prior year.

man this is wild like how do you even rig a whole league? it's crazy to think that some people would stoop so low and hurt kids with talent and a dream just for money . I feel bad for depeau basketball team, they were already struggling and now this just adds insult to injury . what's even crazier is how this scheme involved so many people on multiple teams, it's like a big web of deceit . gotta respect the authorities for taking down these fixers and players who got paid off

This is just getting outta hand . I mean, can you believe these guys were able to rig games and make millions? And it's not like they're some fly-by-night operation, either - we're talking about established players on college teams here! It's sickening that the athletic directors at these schools are so turn a blind eye to this stuff. And what really gets me is that they're targeting the worst-performing team in school history... DePaul? That's just low .

omg can't believe what's going down in the world of college hoops just think about it, people got paid millions to throw games and now they're getting brought to justice. its crazy that coaches like stubblefield are getting caught up in all this too, i feel bad for deapaul and their fans who have been suffering through all those losses. the number of people involved is wild though, 26+ people is a lot. glad to hear depaul's stepping up to cooperate with the investigation tho

omg can u believe this?? a whole betting scheme involving college basketball players? its so sad to see people getting in on the game like that especially with all the scrutiny around student-athletes these days i mean, de paul's coach got fired because of their record and now we find out they were getting paid off by fixers? this is a whole new level of corruption. what's next? i just hope they catch everyone involved and that the NCAA can do something to prevent this from happening again in the future

OMG, can't believe what's going down ! This is like something outta a movie, all these players and coaches getting caught up in some crazy betting scheme . And DePaul, my favorite team , had one of the worst records ever? That's wild! I mean, I knew they'd been struggling, but I didn't think it was this bad .

And Antonio Blakeney, man... 21 points below his average in a game? What's going on with that guy's head? And $200,000 for bribing teammates? That's insane! The fact that there were over 39 players involved and millions of dollars being bet on it is just wild .

I'm all about fairness in sports, you know? It's gotta be tough to watch your team struggle like that, especially when it might've been rigged. But at the same time, I get why they'd do it... greed, I guess?

This is crazy, though! The whole NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association thing just got a lot more interesting . Can't wait to see how this all plays out!

I'm not buying it. This whole thing sounds too convenient and rehearsed. Where are the sources? What's with all these people getting caught in a coordinated effort to bribe players just around the same time? And what about all the other teams that were supposedly involved? Where's the proof?

And let's be real, $200,000 for a one-time payment of being on point shaving is some pretty weak sauce. Who would volunteer to take part in this kind of thing unless they needed the cash ASAP? I want to see more evidence than just some flimsy indictment with claims that players were "enlisted" by fixers.

This whole betting scheme sounds like a classic case of scapegoating, where the real issue is the systemic corruption and lack of oversight. What about DePaul's athletic director and coach not commenting or cooperating? That raises more questions than answers. And what about the university's claims that they'll "strengthen" their education and monitoring efforts? How do we know that's really going to happen, and not just a PR stunt?

I need more information before I believe this whole story is true

I don't usually comment but it's crazy to think about how some people will stop at nothing to make a quick buck. Like, $200,000 for just participating in point shaving? That's insane. And the fact that there were over 29 games involved in this scheme is wild. It's no wonder DePaul had such a bad record - it sounds like they were pretty much rigged from the start. I mean, what kind of trust can you have with someone who's been bribed to throw a game?

Just another day, where a bunch of greedy people try to mess with the game. I mean, what's next? Betting on the weather? I'm all for a good wager, but this is just ridiculous. These guys were essentially buying their way to success... or rather, avoiding failure. The fact that DePaul had one of the worst records in school history and still managed to get in on this scheme is just laughable. It's like they wanted to prove that even with all the odds against them, they could still find a way to lose. And what about the poor guy who got paid $200k for his "efforts"? I guess that's what they mean by "participating in point shaving"... not exactly the most glamorous job description

can't believe this is happening in college hoops again so many people involved and it's not just the players, coaches and admins are getting dragged down with this mess... I feel bad for DePaul, they were already struggling on the court, now they've got to deal with all this off-field drama at least some of these guys got caught early, others might be still in the dark... hope they get some proper punishment for their actions

Ugh, this is so messed up ... like, who does this stuff? The idea that these guys were making millions off a rigged game, and it's just a big mess... the fact that they targeted players with bad teams makes me wanna scream . It's just another example of how corrupt the sports world can be... I feel for DePaul and all those affected by this. But at the same time, the NCAA is cracking down on these guys, so maybe there's some progress being made? Still, it's gonna take a lot more than just one scandal to fix the problem, you know?

I mean, can you believe this? Betting scheme involving NCAA and Chinese Basketball games, rigging games left and right... it's just crazy! And to think these players were getting paid millions of dollars to participate in point shaving. It's like they're not even trying to hide it anymore. The fact that DePaul's coach got fired and another one became an assistant coach at Oregon shows you how serious this is. I'm all for fair play, especially when it comes to college sports. And what's with the lack of transparency from the university? It's like they're in cahoots or something. Anyway, glad federal authorities are taking action and shutting down these fixers. Hopefully, this will bring some accountability to the whole system.

Wow I'm surprised how deep this betting scheme went into college basketball. Interesting how they targeted teams with struggling players to rig games and make a quick buck . The fact that it involved so many players on multiple teams is just crazy . And it's not just the players who got in trouble, but also the coaches and administrators who enabled or covered up these activities . This whole scandal is just a reminder of how corruption can creep into sports and ruin everything for everyone involved .

this is getting crazy... how many times can you rig a game before someone gets caught? it's like they thought they were above the law or something. I feel bad for those players who got in over their heads, though. $200k for a point shaving scheme? that's wild. and 26 people involved? that's just insane. the NCAA should've done more to prevent this from happening. now we gotta wonder how many other scandals are gonna come to light.

omg this is so sus! like what even was going on with these fixers and their point shaving scheme? and $200k to Blakeney just for being a decent player? that's wild. I'm not surprised though, college sports has always been kinda sketchy when it comes to money and corruption . DePaul's record last season was literally one of the worst in school history, so yeah, they were an easy target . Glad the authorities stepped in and brought some of these people down . Now let's just hope the university does its part to strengthen those education and monitoring efforts . can't have this kind of thing happening again on our watch!

I'm so shocked by this whole thing - people who are supposed to be role models in sports getting caught up in all this corruption. I mean, what's next? Are they gonna start rigging games for the lottery too?! The sad part is that these players were paid millions of dollars and basically ruined their reputations. And it's not just them, the whole DePaul team got a bad rep because of it . It's so frustrating to think about all those innocent fans who lost money because of this scheme . But I guess you gotta give credit to the authorities for finally taking action and shutting down this betting ring . Now, if only we could get some real change in the system...

I'm shocked by this latest scandal involving rigged games in the NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association . It's just not right that some people would try to cheat the system like this. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for fans who follow their favorite teams, especially when there are players involved from your own alma mater or local university .

It's amazing to me how much money is being made by these gamblers and fixers - millions of dollars, no less! Meanwhile, the players who are involved in this scheme are losing everything that matters to them: their reputation, their scholarships, and their integrity. It just doesn't add up .

I hope that DePaul University takes concrete steps to strengthen its education and monitoring efforts to protect student-athletes from situations like this. We need more transparency and accountability in college sports, and I'm glad that federal authorities are taking action .

You know what's wild? I was just thinking about this amazing new popcorn stand at the ballpark last weekend and it made me think about how much money people are making off betting on sports... like, millions! It's crazy to think that some of those players were literally paid to lose or cheat. And can you believe they got away with it for so long? I mean, I'm glad the authorities finally took action and brought down the whole scheme. But still, it's pretty sad when people have to resort to that kinda thing... and what's up with the Blue Demons having such a bad record last year

This is so messed up . I mean, millions of dollars and people getting paid to cheat? It's not just about the money, it's about ruining lives and destroying a sport. College basketball should be about passion and competition, not corruption and greed . And what really gets me is that these players were literally paying each other off to lose games, which is like, the ultimate betrayal of trust among teammates . The system needs to do better, period .

Ugh, can't even trust these colleges anymore . I mean, who needs a $200k bribe to shave points? It's not like it's gonna affect the outcome or anything... just sayin'. And 26 people involved? That's just great. I'm sure it was just a coincidence that this scheme started in September 2022, right after the DePaul team had their worst record ever . Coach Stubblefield got fired for that too. Typical. Just another way to make some easy money off of vulnerable kids. And now they're saying they'll "strengthen" their education and monitoring efforts? Save it. They just wanna sweep this under the rug like everyone else