The DePaul Blue Demons are in the middle of a point-shaving scandal.
According to unsealed court documents from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, former players Jalen Terry and Da’Sean Nelson are accused of manipulating a game against St. John’s on March 5, 2024, a game the Red Storm won easily, 104-77.
“Shortly before the March 5, 2024, game between DePaul and the St. John’s University Red Storm Men’s Basketball Team … defendant JALEN SMITH arranged with defendants JALEN TERRY and DA’SEAN NELSON, and Micawber Etienne and Person #6, for the DePaul players to underperform in and influence the first half of the game so that DePaul would not cover the first-half spread,” the documents state.
“St. John’s was favored by approximately 15 points in the first half at sportsbooks throughout the United States and elsewhere.”
St. John’s smashed DePaul in the first half, 54-28, and easily covered the 15-point spread before playing a much tighter second half (50-49) in favor of the Red Storm.
The court documents also reveal detailed text messages between the players and the defendants.
“Defendant SMITH and Etienne communicated via text about their plans for fixing this game and for the DePaul players to receive their bribe payments,” the documents state. “Etienne texted defendant SMITH to confirm that he and his teammates had agreed to fix this game, telling defendant SMITH that the DePaul ‘players ‘trynna make yah the big money while we take a little cut . . . . I just talked to them and
we gon see what the spread is’ for the game against St. John’s. Defendant SMITH and Etienne
further texted about defendant SMITH delivering the ‘bread,’ or bribe payment, to him and the
DePaul players after the St. John’s game.”
Terry put up his worst performance of the year in that game for any contest in which he played at least 20 minutes, scoring just three points on a season-low two shots in 28 minutes.
Etienne, who did not play in the game, received text messages from the defendant as did Smith, telling them that one of the players was playing well and needed “chilllll [the f–k] out.”
He then assured the defendant that the team would be playing keep-away from that player in order to prevent him from scoring.
It is unclear who that player was, but guard Chico Carter Jr. led the team in points in the first half, scoring 11 points in the first nine minutes of the game.
Nelson had 11 points in the game, although just four came in the first half, and Etienne did not play.
After the game, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino called his team’s performance one of the best he had seen.
“We played about as well as you could play offensively,” Pitino said. “I’m actually glad DePaul came back a little at the end. We don’t want to embarrass anybody. Those guys are going through a difficult year, so I’m glad they came back and made some shots. For about eighty percent of the game, we couldn’t play any better offensively.”
Terry and Nelson both transferred after the season to Eastern Michigan, which refused to cooperate with authorities regarding a sports betting violation the following year, when it went 16-19.
