NCAA gambling probe widens pre-hoops season

As the college basketball season prepares to tip off, an NCAA gambling investigation with links to the NBA betting scandal is impacting the status of multiple players at several schools, according to sources familiar with the probe.

One player has been dismissed from a team, and at least two are being withheld from competition due to eligibility concerns related to the investigation, according to the sources. The NCAA said in a release last week that it had opened investigations into potential betting violations by approximately 30 current or former men's basketball players. Some of the cases have already been adjudicated, including ones involving former players for Eastern Michigan, Fresno State and San Jose State.

Western Michigan told ESPN on Thursday that senior guard Justice Williams would not be participating in competition, "pending the results of a recent NCAA investigation of events that precede his enrollment" at the school. That investigation is the NCAA's gambling probe, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge.

Williams did not play in Western Michigan's exhibition game on Wednesday night. The Philadelphia native started his college career at LSU before transferring to Robert Morris, where he did not play last season because of injury. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.

On Friday, Sports Illustrated reported that Eastern Kentucky guard Amarr Knox is also currently ineligible. Knox transferred from Alabama State, which SI reported is a school of interest in the ongoing probe. Eastern Kentucky confirmed to ESPN that Knox is ineligible under NCAA rules but declined further comment.

Earlier this week, two other schools said that players were held out or dismissed. Multiple sources with direct knowledge told ESPN these actions were related to the NCAA's gambling investigation.

Wisconsin announced Tuesday that senior forward Elijah Gray had been dismissed from the team because of "events preceding his enrollment" at the school. Gray began his college career at Fordham and played last season at Temple.

Dayton announced Sunday that it was withholding sophomore guard Adam Njie from competition after being notified by the NCAA of potential eligibility concerns "connected to matters that occurred prior to his enrollment at the university." Njie played previously at Iona.

"In light of these concerns and the ongoing review process, Adam will not be participating in athletic competition at this time," Dayton athletic director Neil Sullivan said in a statement posted on social media.

Attempts to reach Gray and Njie were unsuccessful. A spokesperson for Dayton declined additional comment Tuesday.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is also investigating allegations of point shaving in college basketball, according to sources with direct knowledge of the federal investigation. Federal authorities have interviewed multiple college athletes, the sources told ESPN. Some of the same bettors indicted in the NBA betting scandal have been linked to suspicious betting on college basketball.

ESPN previously reported that Marves Fairley, who was federally indicted last week in the betting case involving the NBA's Terry Rozier and Damon Jones, placed suspicious wagers on college basketball games at a Mississippi casino and had been banned from betting companywide. At the time, Fairley denied any involvement in point-shaving schemes when reached by ESPN.

The NCAA announced in September that it is investigating 13 former men's basketball players at six schools -- Arizona State, Temple, North Carolina A&T, Eastern Michigan, University of New Orleans and Mississippi Valley State -- in its gambling probe.

ESPN previously reported that indictments are expected. The college basketball season tips off Monday.

ESPN's Jeff Borzello contributed to this story.