Former DePaul Players and Former Bulls Player Antonio Blakeney Charged in Scheme to Rig Games
A federal indictment has brought down a wide-ranging betting scheme that involved rigging NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games, ensnaring 26 individuals, including three former DePaul players and a former Chicago Bulls player. The scheme began as early as September 2022 and is said to have reached its peak during the 2023-24 season, with the worst record in school history.
According to prosecutors, former DePaul basketball players Jalen Terry, Da'Sean Nelson, and Micawber "Mac" Etienne were among those who participated in the scheme. Etienne, a bench player at La Salle last season, received texts from fixers and made efforts to recruit other players to join the betting ring.
The indictment also names former Chicago Bulls player Antonio Blakeney, who is accused of throwing games while playing for the Jiangsu Dragons in China's Chinese Basketball Association. In one game, Blakeney scored 21 points below his average as his team lost by 31.
Players were paid to participate in the scheme, with payments ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game. The total payouts are estimated to be in the millions of dollars, with bettors wagering large sums on games that were rigged to favor certain teams.
The investigation has led to a number of arrests and charges, including those against DePaul players Terry, Nelson, and Etienne, as well as other individuals who participated in the scheme. The university has issued a statement expressing disappointment and commitment to protecting the integrity of competition and the well-being of its student-athletes.
This case is just one in a series of high-profile scandals involving college sports betting schemes, with at least 30 players having been investigated over gambling allegations this year alone. As the NCAA continues to crack down on such activities, it remains to be seen how far-reaching these investigations will prove to be.
The DePaul players involved in the scheme were part of a team that finished with a dismal 3-29 record and an 0-20 mark in the Big East Conference, leading to the coaching staff being overhauled. The school has also faced scrutiny for its handling of the situation, with athletic director DeWayne Peevy declining to comment further.
Blakeney played a significant role in the scheme, receiving a one-time payment of $200,000 from fixers for his involvement. His arrest marks another high-profile name in a series of scandals that have rocked the sports world, where gambling revenue topped $11 billion last year.
A federal indictment has brought down a wide-ranging betting scheme that involved rigging NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games, ensnaring 26 individuals, including three former DePaul players and a former Chicago Bulls player. The scheme began as early as September 2022 and is said to have reached its peak during the 2023-24 season, with the worst record in school history.
According to prosecutors, former DePaul basketball players Jalen Terry, Da'Sean Nelson, and Micawber "Mac" Etienne were among those who participated in the scheme. Etienne, a bench player at La Salle last season, received texts from fixers and made efforts to recruit other players to join the betting ring.
The indictment also names former Chicago Bulls player Antonio Blakeney, who is accused of throwing games while playing for the Jiangsu Dragons in China's Chinese Basketball Association. In one game, Blakeney scored 21 points below his average as his team lost by 31.
Players were paid to participate in the scheme, with payments ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game. The total payouts are estimated to be in the millions of dollars, with bettors wagering large sums on games that were rigged to favor certain teams.
The investigation has led to a number of arrests and charges, including those against DePaul players Terry, Nelson, and Etienne, as well as other individuals who participated in the scheme. The university has issued a statement expressing disappointment and commitment to protecting the integrity of competition and the well-being of its student-athletes.
This case is just one in a series of high-profile scandals involving college sports betting schemes, with at least 30 players having been investigated over gambling allegations this year alone. As the NCAA continues to crack down on such activities, it remains to be seen how far-reaching these investigations will prove to be.
The DePaul players involved in the scheme were part of a team that finished with a dismal 3-29 record and an 0-20 mark in the Big East Conference, leading to the coaching staff being overhauled. The school has also faced scrutiny for its handling of the situation, with athletic director DeWayne Peevy declining to comment further.
Blakeney played a significant role in the scheme, receiving a one-time payment of $200,000 from fixers for his involvement. His arrest marks another high-profile name in a series of scandals that have rocked the sports world, where gambling revenue topped $11 billion last year.
. I mean, who throws games for money? It's just so unsportsmanlike. And it's not like they were going to win or anything 
. The fact that there are millions of dollars on the line just makes it even more outrageous. NCAA needs to crack down hard on this stuff... can't let the integrity of competition get compromised like that 
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. Can't we focus on something else besides another sports scandal? It feels like every time there's some bad news, it gets posted here and it's just a never-ending cycle of negativity 
It's just so much drama and corruption in sports... anyway, back to my post about how much I hate the mobile version of this site 
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it's like they say what goes around comes around right? anyway i'm low-key worried about how the NCAA is gonna deal with this stuff. it's gotta be tough for students who were involved to get back on track after something like this. and antonio blakeney's got some splainin' to do! 
. I'm not surprised though, we've been seeing a lot of these types of scandals in college sports lately, especially with betting schemes on the rise 
. DePaul is already dealing with a lousy record and now this? They're gonna have to really dig deep to figure out what went down and make sure it doesn't happen again 
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This is wild, right? I mean, you think you know who's getting paid and who's not, but it turns out some NBA players are throwing games for cash 
. The NCAA needs to step up its game and make sure this doesn't happen again. I'm all for players making money, but not at the expense of fair play 
. Can we please have some real change in this world? 
), it's about ruining the integrity of competition and letting people down. Those DePaul players must've felt so low after being part of a team that ended up with a terrible record 
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. The NCAA needs to do better at catching these guys before it's too late. 
The NCAA needs to take a closer look at this and make some serious changes to prevent this kind of thing from happening again. I mean, who justifies paying players to throw games? It's not like it's the first time we've seen something like this in college sports...