College Basketball Star Hysier Miller Facing Federal Betting Probe

Posted on: November 25, 2024, 05:33h. 

Last updated on: November 25, 2024, 05:34h.

Former Temple University Men’s basketball standout Hysier Miller is the latest college athlete to find himself at the center of a potential betting scandal. The player is the subject of a federal investigation into game manipulation, ESPN reported.

The 22-year-old guard was the leading scorer for the Owls in the 2023-24 season before transferring to Virginia Tech in the spring. But he was dismissed from the program amid rumors of suspicious betting patterns.

Specifically, the Owls’ game against the UAB Blazers on March 7 was flagged by U.S. Integrity for an unusual fluctuation in the point spread in the hours leading up to the game.

Suspicious Swings

The spread inexplicably moved by six points on the morning of the game. It’s the kind of swing that might normally be indicative of an injury to a star player. The movement caused many sportsbooks to halt bets on the game.

That night, Miller played badly, scoring just eight points, well below his 15.9-point average for the season.

Miller has not been charged with a crime. His lawyer, Jason Bologna, said in a statement his client had participated in a lengthy interview with the NCAA and is fully cooperating with the association’s investigation.

He sat for a five-hour interview and answered every question the NCAA asked. He also produced every document the NCAA requested,” Blogna said. “Hysier did these things because he wanted to play basketball this season, and he is devastated that he cannot. Hysier has overcome more adversity in his 22 years than most people face in their lifetime. He will meet and overcome whatever obstacles lie ahead.”

Since the regulation of state-by-state sports betting, college betting scandals have erupted at Alabama, Iowa, and Iowa State. However, this may be because such transgressions are more easily detectable since sports betting came out of the shadows and into the regulated arena.

Jontay Porter Scandal

In professional basketball, the NBA was rocked last year when it emerged that Toronto Raptors power forward Jontay Porter had deliberately underperformed in two games for the benefit of a New York-based gambling syndicate.

The player said he agreed to participate in the scheme because he was heavily indebted to the group because of a gambling problem.

Porter was the first player to receive a lifetime ban from the NBA for gambling since Jack Molinas in 1954. Molinas was a notorious figure in one of basketball’s most infamous points-shaving scandals.