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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 win money from a bettor.
Hunter, Dyquavion Short and Jamond Vincent were offered $5,000 in exchange for participating in the program, and at least seven games were influenced.
“I was hungry for money. That’s it. Hungry for money. Quick money,” Hunter said in an interview with “Good Morning America.”
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Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners guard Cedquavious Hunter dribbles the ball on the outside during a game between UC David and Cal State Bakersfield on January 26, 2023, at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, California. (David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
When first asked why he took the money, Hunter asked to “skip that question.” After wiping away his tears and stepping away to collect himself, he delved deeper into his reasoning.
“I just had a child. The school wasn’t paying me any money. So I was trying to get money to take care of my child,” Hunter said.
Hunter lied to the NCAA, claiming 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 away with it,” Hunter said.
Hunter and his teammates would start playing their normal game early on, but would purposely misbehave later in the match so as not to arouse suspicion.
The NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis is shown on Thursday, March 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, file)
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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 and San Jose States.
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. This same student-athlete reported that during a timeout near the end of the game, Short asked him not to score any more points.
New Orleans has suspended all three student-athletes for the remainder of the season while it investigates the allegations.
The NCAA logo is seen on center court before games in the men’s college basketball championship tournament at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, March 18, 2015. (Associated Press)
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The NCAA investigation showed that the three players manipulated their performances in seven games from December to January to lose more points than the margin in those games.
