Ex-Eastern Michigan basketball players defy NCAA betting inquiry

At least three former Eastern Michigan men’s basketball players refused to cooperate with the NCAA’s investigation into questionable sports betting activities, the governing body of college athletics announced Friday.

Several games from the 2024-25 season fall within the probe’s scope.

The NCAA imaged the personal phones of Jalin Billingsley, Da’Sean Nelson and Jalen Terry in January. The examination stemmed from unusual betting activity associated with Eastern Michigan’s matchup against Central Michigan on Jan. 14, according to findings that were made available Friday.

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The Eastern Michigan Eagles logo on the floor before a college basketball game against the Detroit Mercy Titans at the George Gervin GameAbove Center on Dec. 18, 2022 in Ypsilanti, Michigan.  (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

The players opted against participating in interviews and later informed NCAA officials, via legal counsel, that they did not intend to cooperate in the investigation. The three former Eagles athletes also requested that the phone images be deleted, the release stated.

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The three individuals’ lack of cooperation is considered an NCAA violation and can trigger the permanent loss of eligibility. However, the players named in the probe have already exhausted their eligibility.

NCAA officials noted that the lack of cooperation stalled the investigation, as enforcement personnel could not determine whether sports gambling violations occurred.

The Eastern Michigan Eagles logo on chairs before a college basketball game against the Detroit Mercy Titans at the George Gervin GameAbove Center on Dec. 18, 2022 in Ypsilanti, Michigan.   (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

“When individuals choose not to cooperate — particularly when cases involve potential integrity issues — those choices can and will be met with serious consequences including prohibitions on athletically related activities, the loss of eligibility and/or being publicly named in an infractions decision,” a release from the Division I Committee on Infractions said.

The Eastern Michigan Eagles logo on a pair of shorts during a college basketball game against the Detroit Mercy Titans at the George Gervin GameAbove Center on Dec. 18, 2022 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital was unable to reach Terry, Nelson or Billingsley for comment Friday.

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Terry’s 16.6 points per game during the 2024-25 season lead the Eagles in scoring. Nelson, a former DePaul athlete who transferred to Eastern Michigan, averaged 16.1 points per contest last season. In July, Nelson reached an agreement on a contract with Swiss Basketball League’s Fribourg Olympic Basket.

Including the trio of former Eastern Michigan players, 13 athletes across six different schools are under NCAA investigation for alleged sports wagering violations.

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