A suspected case of match-fixing has occurred in American college basketball, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating it.
‘ESPN’ reported on the 22nd (Korean time) that the FBI is investigating Hezier Miller, who played for the Temple University men’s basketball team.
Miller is said to be under investigation for allegedly betting money on games he participated in and manipulating the results.
Miller played in 36 games at Temple University in the 2023-24 season, averaging 15.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
Thanks to his performance, he transferred to Virginia Tech during the offseason, but was released from the team at the end of October when the investigation by judicial authorities began.
The match suspected of being rigged was the match between Temple University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) held on March 7. UAB won the game 100-72, and Miller scored 8 points, making 3 of 9 field goals and hitting 2 free throws.
At the time, betting on this match was suspended after a suspicious betting pattern was discovered. An anomaly occurred in which UAB’s handicap line fell from -2 to -8 in a spread bet on the score difference.
ESPN, citing betting experts, said it is rare for handicaps to change in this way in college basketball games, especially in the final minutes of the regular season, unless there is a serious injury or suspension.
Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at Borgata, a gambling company located in Atlantic City, New Jersey, said in an interview with this media outlet that he expected Temple University’s departure due to injury or suspension after seeing the line change, but could not find any reason. Even after the handicap line was moved, bets predicting a win for UAB continued to come in, so they eventually had no choice but to stop betting.
Temple University said in a statement the day after the game that an investigation into suspicious betting patterns was ongoing.
Since then, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which governs college basketball, has reportedly been conducting an investigation for several months.
ESPN reported that gambling companies reported that people who bet on the game in question also bet on other Temple University basketball games, mainly betting on the outcome of the game or the total number of points scored in the first half. There remains a possibility that there may have been additional match-fixing.
Regarding this, Miller’s lawyer said in a statement, “Miller has battled more hardships in his 22 years of life than other people have experienced in their entire lives. “He will overcome any obstacles that come before him,” he said.
Temple University stated, “We have not received any requests for information from law enforcement authorities, but we will fully cooperate with the investigation as it progresses.”
As more and more states recognize sports gambling in the United States, related crimes are also increasing.
Last April, Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter was caught colluding with co-conspirators and intentionally adjusting his playing time to manipulate bets related to his personal records. He later pleaded guilty along with his co-conspirators and is currently awaiting sentencing.
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