Ex-Temple guard in federal point-shaving inquiry

Pete Thamel Close Pete Thamel ESPN College Football Senior Writer for ESPN. Insider for College Gameday.David Purdum Close David Purdum ESPN Staff Writer Signed up with ESPN in 2014 Journalist covering gaming industry because 2008 Nov 21, 2024, 02:17

PM ET Federal authorities are examining whether former Temple males’s basketball player Hysier Miller bank on his own games and controlled the outcome of Owls games he played in, according to sources with direct understanding of the situation.Miller, Temple’s leading scorer last season, moved to Virginia Tech during the offseason however was dismissed by the Hokies on Oct. 23 due to the fact that of the federal examination and an NCAA query into Temple games, sources stated. A regular-season Temple game drew attention for uncommon betting activity in March.Miller never ever played a game for the Hokies. The school said at the time that his termination was “due to circumstances prior to his enrollment at Virginia Tech.” Requested for talk about the claims, Miller’s lawyer, Jason P. Bologna of the law practice Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney, offered ESPN a statement: “Hysier Miller has actually conquered more hardship in his 22 years than the majority of people deal with in their lifetime. He will satisfy and get rid of whatever challenges lay ahead.” Editor’s Picks 1 Related Temple representative Steve Orbanek told ESPN that the school is”aware of the deeply concerning claims of sports betting last season.”He said the university had not”received any requests for details”from state or federal law enforcement but” will comply fully need to we be contacted.” The NCAA

decreased to comment.In a declaration, the FBI said it would neither confirm nor reject the existence of any investigation.Sportsbooks had actually alerted U.S. Integrity, a Las Vegas firm that keeps an eye on the betting market, to uncommon line movement and suspicious betting patterns on a March 7 regular-season game in between Temple and UAB. The point spread moved especially

the morning of the game, growing

from UAB -2 to -8 by early afternoon, before multiple sportsbooks halted betting on the contest.

A six-point line motion on a college basketball game is uncommon, specifically late in the season, unless there are injuries or suspensions, bookmakers and wagerers said.Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey, told ESPN in March that he started moving the line in the morning after a series of limitation bets on UAB were positioned. Gable said he expected injury or suspension details including Temple however could not find any factor behind the rush of action. The action continued to come in on UAB, even after the line moved, Gable stated, leading The Borgata

to halt banking on the game.UAB won 100-72. Miller scored eight points on 3-of-9 shooting and dedicated 3 turnovers.Temple launched a declaration March 8 saying it was evaluating reports of suspicious betting patterns.The NCAA has actually contacted individuals in the gambling market in recent weeks to ask about the Temple case, gambling market sources informed ESPN. It has actually been examining Miller and the Temple games for a number of months, sources stated.”We have been fully responsive and cooperative with the NCAA given that the minute we learned of the examination, “Orbanek, the Temple representative, told ESPN this week.Bookmakers saw that the same consumers who wager against Temple in the UAB game had been betting on other games including the Owls, typically making wagers on the result and the total points scored in the very first half, according to betting market sources.Temple ended up the 2023-24 routine season 12-19 however went on a run in the American Athletic Conference tournament before losing to UAB in the championship game. Miller balanced 27.8 points throughout that run.Miller was one of Virginia Tech’s biggest offseason acquisitions from the transfer website, and his unanticipated departure left the group with a void at point guard.The Miller case is the most recent prominent gaming examination including a professional athlete. In April, the NBA prohibited former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter for revealing confidential information to wagerers. Porter later pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy criminal activity, confessing that he accepted withdraw early from games so that co-conspirators could win bets on his analytical efficiency. 2 of his co-conspirators have also pleaded guilty and are waiting for sentencing.ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach added to this report.