Thursday’s bombshell in sports included a massive point-shaving scandal in college basketball in which 17 players have been federally indicted, according to court documents which were unsealed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Among the alleged charged were a handful of DePaul basketball players, who were paid handsomely to fix Blue Demon games during the 2023-24 season.
One of the games that was included in the indictment was the matchup between St. John’s and DePaul on March 5, 2024 in Chicago.
Defendant Jalen Smith, who would place wagers on the games against the team of the players he bribed, was in contact with DePaul’s Jalen Terry, Da’Sean Nelson, Mac Etienne, and an unnamed person in the report to not cover the first half spread against the Red Storm.
According to the filings, St. John’s was close to a 15-point favorite in the first half and wagers were placed on the Johnnies to cover the first half spread from Smith and his partners totaling nearly $52,395.
The Red Storm outscored DePaul 54-28 in the first half and won the game, 104-77. St. John’s only won the second half by one point, 50-49.
St. John’s, who was making a push to make the NCAA Tournament in the first season under head coach Rick Pitino, shot 66.7-percent (22-of-33) in the first half with just three turnovers.
Jalen Terry missed the lone shot he attempted in 17 first half minutes while committing two turnovers as DePaul was outscored by 27 points with him on the court. Da’Sean Nelson was 1-for-5 in the first half with four points and two fouls.
Etienne, who did not play in the game, received a text from Smith saying that one of the DePaul players – presumably Chico Carter Jr. – was playing too well and needed to “chilllll the [expletive] out.”
Carter Jr., who was not involved in the scheme, had 11 points in the first half and made his first four shots of the half before missing his next four shots.
After the wagers won, Terry scored only three points in the second half while Nelson had seven points.
The DePaul players also allegedly fixed the first half of a February 24, 2024 matchup against Georgetown and the first half of DePaul’s game against Butler on March 2, 2024. The DePaul players involved in the scheme were given $40,000 cash by Jalen Smith for tanking the games, according to the documents.
The Blue Demons finished the season 3-29 (0-20 Big East) and fired head coach Tony Stubblefield on January 22, 2024 of that year – a month and a half prior to the alleged games.
Matt Brady served as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season before the school hired Chris Holtmann to be its next head coach.