Are US College Basketballers Manipulating Their Own Games?

Allegations against former Temple star Hysier Miller have reignited match-fixing concerns. But although point-shaving has never gone away, the situation has been exaggerated.

In late November, the FBI launched a rare investigation into betting corruption in NCAA basketball, placing Hysier Miller, the former star of Temple University’s Owls, at the center of its inquiries.

Miller, the Owls’ leading scorer during the 2023-24 season, allegedly placed bets on games he played in and may have intentionally manipulated game results to benefit himself or others financially. The investigation zeroed in on a March 7 game against the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where suspicious betting activity raised alarms.

Initially, UAB had been favoured to win by two points, but a surge of high-limit bets on the team caused the spread to balloon to eight points just hours before tip-off. Gambling monitors flagged the unusual activity, prompting some sportsbooks to suspend betting on the game entirely.

Former Temple Owls guard Hysier Miller. Source: AP

Miller’s performance during the Owls’ 100-72 loss did little to quiet suspicions. He scored just eight points on 3-of-9 shooting, no assists and committed three turnovers—a sharp drop from his season average of 15.9 points per game and a standout role as a consistent starter.

The FBI has since reviewed mobile phone data from Miller and others connected to Temple’s team. While the full results of the investigation remain undisclosed, and Miller has not been publicly declared guilty of any crime, Virginia Tech, where Miller had transferred for the season, dismissed him in October.