Cedquavious "Dae Dae" Hunter was banned from the NCAA for participating in a scheme in which he and two of his teammates shaved points to earn money from a bettor.
Hunter, Dyquavion Short and Jamond Vincent were offered $5,000 in exchange for their participation in the scheme, and at least seven games were influenced.
"I was money hungry. That's all it was. Money hungry. Fast cash," Hunter said in an interview with "Good Morning America."
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When initially asked why he took the money, Hunter asked to "skip that question." After wiping away tears and walking away to compose himself, he elaborated.
"I just had a child. The school wasn't paying me money. So, I was trying to get money to actually take care of my child," Hunter said.
Hunter lied to the NCAA, saying he "didn't know anything."
"But the whole time, I knew everything. I was trying to lie because I thought I was going to get my way out of it," Hunter said.
Hunter and his teammates would begin to play their normal game early on but purposely perform poorly later in the game so as not to raise suspicions.
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The NCAA said last month it was investigating at least 30 current or former players for gambling allegations. The NCAA also banned three college basketball players in September for betting on their own games at Fresno State and San Jose State.
The violations at New Orleans against Hunter, Short and Vincent came to light after the NCAA received a tip about game manipulation. The NCAA said a student-athlete overheard the three players discussing a third party placing a bet on their game against McNeese State on Dec. 28, 2024. New Orleans lost 86-61. That same student-athlete reported that during a timeout near the end of the game, Short instructed him not to score any more points.
New Orleans suspended all three student-athletes for the remainder of the season while it investigated the allegations.
The NCAA investigation determined the three players manipulated their performances in seven games from December through January to lose by more points than the spread in those games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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