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At least three former Eastern Michigan men’s basketball players have 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 are within the scope of the investigation.
The NCAA took images of the personal phones of Jalin Billingsley, Da’Sean Nelson and Jalen Terry in January. The examination arose from unusual betting activity associated with Eastern Michigan’s matchup against Central Michigan on Jan. 14, according to findings that became 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 December 18, 2022 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The players opted out of interviews and later informed NCAA officials, through legal counsel, that they had no intention of cooperating in the investigation. The three former Eagles athletes also requested that the phone images be removed, according to the statement.
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Failure to cooperate by all three individuals is considered a violation of the NCAA and may result in permanent loss of eligibility. However, the players named in the investigation have already exhausted their eligibility.
NCAA officials said the lack of cooperation stalled the investigation, as law enforcement personnel were unable to determine whether sports betting 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 December 18, 2022 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
“When individuals choose not to cooperate, particularly when cases involve potential integrity issues, those decisions can and will face serious consequences, including being banned from sports-related activities, loss of eligibility and/or being publicly named in an infraction decision,” a statement from the Division I Infractions Committee 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 December 18, 2022 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Pak Gazette Digital was unable to reach Terry and Nelson either Billingsley for comment on Friday.
Terry’s 16.6 points per game during the 2024-25 season leads 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 agreement on a contract with Friborg Olympic Basket of the Swiss basketball league.
Including the trio of former Eastern Michigan players, 13 athletes from six different schools are under investigation by the NCAA for alleged sports betting violations.
