Four UNO Athletes Linked to Possible Sports Betting Probe

The growing popularity of sports betting across the United States continues to raise concerns about the integrity of college and professional competitions. Fears about potential match-fixing further loom amid the increasing number of cases where athletes are found to have breached rules related to betting.

Such is the case for four University of New Orleans’ (UNO) men’s basketball team members who were reportedly suspended as a part of an investigation into potential sports betting rules violations.

Investigation Into the Four Players Is Ongoing

Confirmation about the four suspensions came from Jeff Goodman, an expert college basketball analyst and insider for the media outlet Field of 68. Per his report on Wednesday, UNO benched a total of four players since their loss against the University of The Incarnate World on January 27, 2025.

The suspensions at the New Orleans Privateers men’s basketball team affected four of the team’s five top scorers. The list of players includes James White, Jah Short, Dae Dae Hunter, as well as Jamond Vincent. White, who is affected by the suspensions, was in fact the team’s top scorer averaging 19.2 points per game.

According to Goodman, there is an ongoing investigation into the players by the school. In addition, the four are likely facing scrutiny under a separate probe by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). “New Orleans (4-17, 2-8 Southland) was down 38-20 at halftime of the loss to UIW. The Privateers have lost eight straight since the four players last played,” Goodman’s report reads.

The latest announcement comes after another recent case resulted in a federal gambling probe. In the unrelated case, Terry Rozier, the Miami Heat’s star player, is reputedly facing scrutiny over a game from 2023 when he played with the Charlotte Hornets.

In the game in question, Rozier left due to a foot injury. As a result, a number of “under” performance bets were successfully completed and not unexpectedly were flagged as suspicious. In the end, an investigation into the star player was launched.

Suspensions Come After “Team Rule” Breaches

Focusing once again on the four suspended UNO men’s basketball team players, confirmation about the suspension came from Vince Granito, the University’s interim athletic director. In an interview for Fox 8, he confirmed the four have been suspended since late January.

“I can tell you that, in late January, we had to suspend four players due to some information that was given to us. Because they broke a team rule, we had to suspend them.“

Vince Granito, UNO interim athletic director

However, the executive didn’t reveal what was the reason behind the suspension. According to Granito, the four players were benched after breaching a “team rule.” He didn’t elaborate further as to what was the nature of the rule and whether or not it was tied to betting. “They’ve been suspended for a month already,” Granito added, explaining that an investigation is ongoing.