The University of New Orleans men’s basketball team has held out four of its top players since January and is reportedly under an NCAA investigation for sports betting.

Update: UNO athletic director responds to men’s basketball gambling scandal reports

Four of UNO’s top five scorers in James White, Jah Short, Dae Dae Hunter and Jamond Vincent last played Jan. 27 in a 74-58 loss vs. Incarnate Word and have been out since. Jeff Goodman first reported on X that their absence was related to a sports gambling investigation.

UNO athletic director Vince Granito confirmed that the four players had been suspended since January for a team rules violation but declined to comment when asked if the suspensions were gambling related.

“It’s part of our policy that a student-athlete, no matter what the sport is, signs off on at the beginning of the year,” Granito said. “When you break a rule, specifically something that you signed off on, then you have consequences. That’s why we’re in this limbo state.”

When asked Feb. 15 about the missing pieces of his starting lineup, first-year UNO coach Stacy Hollowell declined to comment to The Times-Picayune.

UNO debuted a new-look starting lineup without the four players against Southeastern on Feb. 1 and have played short-handed ever since, with only seven players seeing the floor most nights.

The New Orleans men’s basketball team has held out four of its top five scorers since a Jan. 27 loss to UIW due to an investigation into sports gambling, sources told @TheFieldOf68.

Leading scorer James White (19.2 ppg), Jah Short (9.2 ppg), Dae Dae Hunter (8.2 ppg) and Jamond…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 26, 2025

White was averaging a team-high 19.2 points per game along with 7 rebounds. Short was third on the team in scoring at 9.2 points per game followed by Hunter with 8.2 and Vincent at 7.8.

UNO was 4-17 before the four players’ absence and has lost all eight games without them.

Freshmen MJ Thomas, Leland Coleman and New Orleans native Kohen Rowbatham have averaged over 30 minutes a night for UNO during the eight-game stretch, along with sophomore JR Jacobs.

“Have you seen our guys lately, how hard they’ve been playing?” Hollowell said. “Come out and watch these guys play, because they’re busting their tail.”

Senior Luke Davis and juniors Theo Grant and Grant Kemp have also seen significant minutes for UNO. Thomas is averaging 11 points per game and a team-high 7.9 rebounds.

UNO held a press conference Wednesday at Lakefront Arena to announce New Orleans music icon Percy “Master P” Miller as president of basketball operations.

Granito addressed the suspended players report at the beginning of the press conference.

“I understand that there’s an interest in the status of our four suspended basketball players that happened earlier this year,” Granito said. “It’s an internal investigation for a team rules violation. Today’s press conference was planned in advance (of the report) and is about the future of UNO basketball.”