Fresno State said Saturday it is withholding men’s basketball players Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins from competition, and a source who has been briefed on the situation told The Athletic the school is looking into a potential violation of NCAA gambling rules.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because none of the parties involved were publicly providing details about why the players were being held out.
The Fresno Bee first reported the players were being held out due to an investigation of gambling activity. The newspaper also reported that guard Mykell Robinson, who has not played since a Jan. 11 loss to Nevada and is no longer listed on the team’s roster, is also part of the investigation.
Fresno State said it would have no further comment on the matter.
“The Mountain West has been in communication with Fresno State as the institution processes a review of an eligibility matter,” the conference said in a statement.
The NCAA, when reached for comment by The Athletic, provided a statement that made no mention of Fresno State. NCAA confidentiality rules require the association to refrain from commenting on pending or potential investigations.
“However, the NCAA takes sports betting very seriously and is committed to the protection of student-athlete well-being and the integrity of competition,” the NCAA said. “The Association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever reports are received.”
Weaver and Collins did not play in Fresno State’s 72-69 overtime loss at Air Force last Saturday. The Bulldogs (5-23, 1-16 Mountain West) are scheduled to host Boise State on Saturday night.
Weaver, a senior transfer from Nevada, and Collins, a sophomore, each played in 25 of Fresno State’s 28 games, including 24 starts. Weaver is the team’s second-leading scorer at 12.5 points per game and Collins is tied for third at 12.0.
(Photo of Jalen Weaver: Cary Edmondson / Imagn Images)
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