The Fresno State men’s basketball program has drawn scrutiny for potential ties to sports gambling, sources confirmed to ESPN on Saturday.
The NCAA and university are both investigating, sources said, and the school has removed one player from the team and suspended two others for at least Saturday’s game against Air Force.
The investigation came about because of a tip to Fresno State, which then launched its internal investigation, a source told ESPN. The school subsequently involved the NCAA.
Fresno State said in a statement that guards Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins were “being withheld from competition as the University reviews an eligibility matter.”
Weaver (12.5 PPG) and Collins (12 PPG) are two of Fresno State’s top three scorers. Collins also leads the team with 4.7 assists per game.
A third former Bulldogs player, Mykell Robinson, is also under investigation. Robinson, who was averaging 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, had not played for Fresno State since Jan. 11 and is no longer on the team.
The Fresno Bee first reported on the investigation into the program.
Fresno State is playing through a historically bad season in school history. The Bulldogs have lost nine straight games to fall to 5-22 (1-15 MWC). Their defeat in their last game, by 23 on Wednesday against San Diego State, set a program record for most losses in a season.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel contributed to this report.