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College basketball player Hysier Miller is reportedly under federal investigation after being booted from his new school. The former Temple guard transferred to Virginia Tech during the offseason, but issues from his past have kept him off the court.
Last year, the Owls were flagged by US Integrity, a gambling watchdog company, due to unusual activity that took place at the sportsbook. Those suspicions surrounded a game against American Athletic Conference rival UAB.
Temple entered as a 2.5-point underdog. The line grew to as many as eight points before tipoff without rhyme or reason. No injuries were reported. No notable lineup changes were made. It raised eyebrows in Vegas.
UAB would go onto cover that line comfortably in a 100-72 victory. Hysier Miller, the Owls’ leading scorer, had one of his worst nights of the year.
Miller scored eight points on 33% shooting. It was his only single-digit scoring total across an 18-game stretch between late January and the end of the conference tournament. It doesn’t seem like it was coincidence!
The guard left Temple without scrutiny, though an investigation into the program later took place. He would end up joining the Virginia Tech Hokies’ incoming transfer class, but before ever starting a game in Blacksburg, he was kicked off the team.
“Circumstances prior to his enrollment” was the reasoning cited by the school. While the Hokies wouldn’t go into detail on the dismissal, most believed it had something to do with the investigation into Temple’s potential point-shaving. Now, things seem to have gotten worse.
ESPN Reports That Hysier Miller Is Under Federal Investigation.
Pete Thamel and David Purdum broke the news, saying “federal authorities are investigating whether former Temple men’s basketball player Hysier Miller bet on his own games and manipulated the outcome of Owls games he played in.” That meeting against UAB will certainly be in question.
This is just the latest story involving college programs and sports gambling. Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was relieved of his duties in May of 2023 due to suspicious betting activity surrounding a game between the Tide and LSU. In that case, it was determined that Bohannon was in contact with a bettor placing a large wager against Alabama, who later announced that its starting pitcher would be removed from the rotation.
Iowa State football players faced charges in August of last year following a statewide crackdown on gambling. A few athletes from the University of Iowa found themselves in hot water, too.
Hysier Miller’s situation appears serious now that federal investigators are involved. It will be interesting to see what the probe turns up on his potential involvement.