TLDR
- Federal prosecutors secured a guilty plea from Jalen Smith for orchestrating a point-shaving conspiracy that paid college athletes $10,000–$30,000 per game
- More than 39 college basketball players from 17 different NCAA programs participated in fixing over 29 games from 2022 to 2025
- The conspiracy specifically exploited athletes with minimal NIL earnings and frequently manipulated first-half point spreads
- Before targeting NCAA basketball, the criminal enterprise operated in the Chinese Basketball Association
- Federal indictments name five additional conspirators, some with connections to an ongoing NBA illegal gambling probe
On March 9, Jalen Smith entered a guilty plea in federal court, acknowledging his central role as the orchestrator of what authorities describe as one of the most extensive point-shaving conspiracies in collegiate basketball history. Smith confessed to bribing players to intentionally perform below their capabilities, ensuring their teams would not beat the gambling spread.
Participating athletes received cash payments ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 for each compromised game. Smith and his network of co-conspirators leveraged this inside manipulation to place substantial wagers against the affected teams using various sportsbooks and betting intermediaries.
Federal prosecutors trace the conspiracy back to September 2022, with operations continuing through February 2025. The criminal enterprise corrupted more than 39 college athletes competing for at least 17 NCAA basketball programs and compromised the integrity of over 29 games.
Smith now faces a potential 20-year federal prison sentence on wire fraud charges. Additional bribery charges related to corrupting sporting events carry a maximum five-year sentence.
Investigators revealed that the criminal operation initially launched in the Chinese Basketball Association, where members successfully fixed games before redirecting their efforts toward NCAA men’s basketball.
How Fixers Chose Their Targets
Smith and his associates deliberately avoided recruiting high-profile athletes. Instead, they systematically identified and approached players earning minimal or zero compensation through NIL arrangements — typically athletes competing for mid-major conference programs without lucrative sponsorship opportunities.
While NIL regulations implemented in 2021 granted college athletes permission to monetize their name, image, and likeness rights, the vast majority of Division I basketball players continue earning little to no supplemental income.
For those players, receiving a single cash payment exceeding $15,000 represented a compelling financial opportunity. Federal prosecutors also revealed that players received additional compensation for providing confidential information about teammates’ health conditions and expected playing time.
Smith maintained active communication with compromised players throughout games. Court documents reveal that during one particularly competitive game, he sent a halftime text message to a participating player, insisting the score needed to “be a blowout” and accusing the player of causing him financial losses.
Following successful betting outcomes, Smith personally visited college campuses to deliver cash payments directly to players.
When the Scheme Failed
The conspiracy did not guarantee success. During a matchup between Buffalo and Kent State, the fixing network placed approximately $424,000 in wagers but suffered significant losses after the spread margin missed by just half a point.
The first-half spread required Kent State to win by more than 8.5 points, but they secured only an 8-point advantage. Three players participating in the fix contributed just one combined point during the final 13 minutes of that half, conspicuously missing routine layups and uncontested dunks.
First-half spreads became the preferred target for fixers. This strategy enabled them to manipulate only a portion of the game without necessarily altering the final outcome.
Co-Conspirators and NBA Links
Smith operated within a larger criminal network. Federal authorities have identified five co-conspirators. Marves Fairley and Shane Hennen allegedly initiated the original Chinese Basketball Association fixing scheme. Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney accepted bribes, recruited teammates into the conspiracy, and subsequently approached NCAA athletes. His professional experience playing two seasons with the Chicago Bulls provided credibility when recruiting college players.
At the conclusion of the CBA season, Fairley deposited a package containing at least $200,000 in cash at Blakeney’s Florida storage facility.
Both Fairley and Hennen face scrutiny in an unrelated October 2025 federal investigation that resulted in 30 arrests connected to an illegal poker operation and alleged NBA game manipulation.
That separate investigation includes allegations that someone provided advance information about Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier’s early game departure in 2023, enabling bettors to profit from proposition bets. Rozier has publicly denied any involvement in the alleged scheme.
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones are also implicated in participating in rigged poker games. Jones faces accusations of selling confidential insider information about player injuries and lineup decisions to gamblers, including Fairley.
The FBI uncovered the NCAA conspiracy after millions of dollars flowed through regulated sportsbooks over more than two years without triggering any integrity monitoring alerts. NCAA President Charlie Baker has subsequently urged state gambling regulators to prohibit certain betting markets, specifically citing first-half spreads and individual player proposition bets.
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