A college basketball player banned by the NCAA for his involvement in sports-betting operations has publicly confessed to his role in a gambling scheme, admitting he deliberately underperformed in games.
Dae Dae Hunter, a guard for the University of New Orleans, revealed on ABC’s Good Morning America that he participated in point-shaving.
"I did go out there and not do my best: basically shooting the ball and not actually trying to make it," Hunter stated during the programme, which aired on Monday.
He cited financial pressures as his motivation, explaining: "I just had a child. The school wasn’t paying me, so I was trying to get money to actually take care of my child."
Hunter and two of his New Orleans teammates are among six players whose eligibility was revoked by the NCAA following an investigation.
The Committee on Infractions determined that Hunter, Dyquavian Short, Jamond Vincent, Arizona State's Chatton "BJ" Freeman, and Mississippi Valley State's Donovan Sanders and Alvin Stredic either manipulated their performances to lose games, fail to cover bet lines, or ensure specific prop bets were met, or provided information to facilitate such actions during the 2024-25 regular season.
The NCAA announced in October it was investigating at least 30 current or former players over gambling allegations, with the violations at New Orleans coming to light after a tip-off regarding game manipulation.
When asked on Good Morning America if he ever feared failing to meet the demands of an unidentified bettor, Hunter responded, "95%, we were going to get the job done."
He further admitted to intentionally misleading NCAA investigators.
"I told them I wasn’t doing it," he said. "I told them I didn’t know anything. But the whole time, basically I knew. I knew everything. I was trying to lie because I thought I wouldn’t get my way out of it."
