Western Michigan Transfer Is Latest Player Of Interest In Basketball Gambling Scandal

Western Michigan has received announcement from nan NCAA that transportation defender Justice Williams is simply a subordinate of liking successful its ongoing gambling investigation successful nan sport, sources show Sports Illustrated.

It is unclear whether Williams besides is of liking successful nan federal probe of alleged crippled fixing, constituent shaving and capacity manipulation successful assemblage basketball, aliases conscionable nan NCAA’s abstracted but concurrent inquiry. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for nan Eastern District of Pennsylvania is believed to beryllium successful nan second stages of its investigation. Last week, nan Eastern District of New York announced a sweeping bid of arrests and indictments which included alleged corruption astatine nan NBA level.

Williams transferred to Western Michigan from Robert Morris, wherever he averaged 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists successful nan 2023–24 season. The Philadelphia merchandise sat retired past play pinch nan Colonials for what nan schoolhouse told SI past January was a knee injury. Robert Morris is 1 of nan schools nether scrutiny,  aggregate sources show SI, though it is not one of nan six nan NCAA has publically named. 

Prior to Robert Morris, Williams played 2 seasons astatine LSU.

Requests for remark from Western Michigan were not instantly returned Thursday.

On Sunday, Dayton men's hoops announced that it is withholding Iona transportation Adam Njie from title owed to “[eligibility] matters that occurred anterior to his enrollment astatine nan university.”  The schoolhouse says it was notified of nan rumor by nan NCAA.

Sources show SI that Njie’s business is connected to nan ongoing nationwide assemblage investigation. It is unclear if Njie is nether scrutiny from some nan NCAA and national investigators, aliases conscionable nan NCAA.

“In ray of these concerns and nan ongoing reappraisal process, Adam will not beryllium participating successful diversion title astatine this time,” Dayton’s announcement said.

In September, nan NCAA announced that it was investigating gambling-related infractions cases involving 13 players astatine six different schools. The players were not named, but their erstwhile schools were: Eastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T and Mississippi Valley State.

Last week, nan NCAA announced that 3 erstwhile Eastern Michigan players—Jalin Billingsley, Da’Sean Nelson and Jalen Terry—committed Level I rules violations by refusing to cooperate pinch their investigation. The 3 person utilized up their assemblage eligibility.

With nan assemblage play starting Monday, nan NCAA is moving to expedite infractions cases involving existent players. Dayton opens Monday nighttime against Canisius. Western Michigan opens nan aforesaid nighttime against Coastal Carolina.

The NBA probe exploded successful nan headlines past week pinch nan arrests of 38 people, including a ringing of gamblers colluding to make wagers based connected wrong information. The feds besides arrested a trio of existent and erstwhile NBA players—Miami Heat defender Terry Rozier, erstwhile subordinate and coach Damon Jones and current Portland Trail Blazers caput coach Chauncey Billups.

Some of nan gamblers charged successful relationship to that ungraded are suspected of attempting to hole assemblage games arsenic well, sources show SI. Among those of liking are professional gamblers Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley, some of whom have extended criminal records. 

Hennen and Fairley were charged successful 1 indictment from nan Eastern District of New York pinch conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud and conspiracy to perpetrate money laundering. Hennen besides was charged successful a 2nd EDNY indictment pinch money laundering conspiracy and ligament fraud conspiracy relating to his domiciled successful allegedly rigging forbidden poker games.

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