Two former Mississippi Valley State men’s basketball starters are at the center of an NCAA sports-betting investigation that now permanently bars them from college competition.
The NCAA says former Delta Devils guards Donovan Sanders and Alvin Stredic provided inside information to bettors and were offered money to help influence games during the 2024–25 season — a year in which Mississippi Valley finished 3–28 overall and 1–17 in SWAC play.
Both players were major pieces of that roster:
- Stredic started 27 of 28 games, averaging 30.9 minutes, 9.4 points and 5.2 rebounds, while shooting 41.0% from the field (93-of-227) and going 77-of-124 at the line.
- Sanders started 27 of 29 games, logging a team-high 32.7 minutes per game with 9.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and team-leading totals in both assists (79) and steals (42).
Their involvement means the NCAA’s findings aren’t about fringe players — they’re about two of Valley’s most trusted contributors.
NCAA: Phone call and flagged line before 45-point loss at Tulsa
The report details an incident before Valley’s Dec. 21, 2024 road game at Tulsa, a matchup the Delta Devils lost 93–48.
An unidentified Mississippi Valley player told investigators he overheard Sanders on the phone talking about “throwing the game.” Sanders then allegedly asked that teammate to join the call so a bettor could ask whether other players might be willing to participate. Sanders later instructed the player to delete their text messages, according to the NCAA.
Sportsbooks flagged the contest after a surge of large bets came in on Tulsa to cover the 26-point spread. Tulsa ended up winning by 45, and the unusual action was later turned over to investigators through an open-records request.
Offer to “play poorly” vs. Alabama A&M
The NCAA says Sanders later provided information to bettors ahead of Valley’s Jan. 6, 2025 trip to Alabama A&M, a game the Delta Devils lost 79–67.
In interviews with investigators, Sanders said he and Stredic were offered money to play poorly in the first half by another bettor. The same report noted that the betting handle on Mississippi Valley State–Alabama A&M was 3.6 times higher than a typical SWAC game.
Across the season, Mississippi Valley ran through a brutal schedule: road games at Iowa State, Missouri, Texas, BYU, Utah, Liberty, North Texas, LSU and more. The Delta Devils took heavy losses in most of those games and closed the year on a nine-game losing streak.
Those lopsided scores made the on-court product look like a typical rebuilding season. The betting patterns around Tulsa and Alabama A&M are what brought in regulators and eventually the NCAA.
Attempts to reach Sanders and Stredic were unsuccessful.
Mississippi Valley State issues statement
The University released a public statement after the NCAA decision, noting that the two players involved are no longer enrolled and stressing the school’s cooperation throughout the investigation.
“Mississippi Valley State University acknowledges the recent NCAA Committee on Infractions report, which concluded an enforcement investigation into sports betting violations involving two former men’s basketball student-athletes who are no longer enrolled at the university,” the statement read.
The university said it “fully cooperated with the NCAA’s investigation” and remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity in its athletic programs. MVSU added that it will work with the NCAA to implement education and preventative measures so all current student-athletes understand and follow sports-wagering rules.
Wider case spans multiple schools
Sanders and Stredic are among six former Division I players the NCAA permanently deemed ineligible in this case.
The investigation also involved three former players at New Orleans — Hunter, Short and Vincent — whom the NCAA says were linked to a betting scheme targeting multiple Privateers games, including a Dec. 28, 2024 matchup with McNeese State. Investigators cited text messages and witness accounts describing cash payments and communication with a known bettor around several Southland Conference contests.
In another branch of the case, former Arizona State guard B.J. Freeman was found to have given a former teammate and his then-girlfriend information so they could place daily-fantasy bets on his individual statistics.
All six players named in the report have had their eligibility permanently revoked, and none is currently enrolled at his former school, according to the NCAA.