Investigation: Former Temple University Player Hysier Miller Under Federal Scrutiny for Point-Shaving Allegations
Former Temple guard Hysier Miller is currently under a federal investigation for allegedly participating in point-shaving and manipulating the outcomes of college basketball games, as reported by ESPN on Thursday.
Authorities are looking into the possibility that Miller placed bets on his own games while playing for Temple. Although he transferred to Virginia Tech during the offseason, he was dismissed from the program on October 23rd due to \"circumstances prior to his enrollment at Virginia Tech.\"
According to ESPN, Miller's dismissal was a result of both a federal investigation and an NCAA inquiry into point-shaving. The NCAA declined to comment and the FBI did not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.
On March 7th, a regular-season game between Temple and UAB caught the attention of U.S. Integrity, a gambling watchdog firm, due to unusual betting activity. UAB was originally favored by 1.5-2 points at sportsbooks, but the spread quickly increased to -8 by the afternoon, causing some books to stop taking bets on the game.
During that game, Miller scored eight points on 3-of-9 shooting and had three turnovers. UAB ended up winning 100-72. The following day, Temple released a statement acknowledging that they were reviewing reports of suspicious betting.
According to ESPN, the NCAA has been investigating Temple and Miller for \"several months,\" and bookmakers discovered that some customers who had bet against Temple on March 7th had also done so throughout the season, often placing bets on both the game outcome and the total points scored in the first half.
Miller's attorney, Jason P. Bologna, told ESPN, \"Hysier Miller has faced more challenges in his 22 years than most people encounter in a lifetime. He will overcome any obstacles that come his way.\"