According to WYNN’s Andy Adamson, Syracuse players Scoop Jardine, James Southerland and Dion Waiters are allegedly involved in the scandal. Adamson reported the scandal, originally posted at poker website PocketFives.com, on his Twitter and Facebook accounts. He has since removed the entries, leaving many to question the validity of these rumors.
Popular Syracuse sports blog, OrangeFizz.net, is reporting a source who spoke to the SU athletics department told them the rumors are untrue and that the department has looked into possible point shaving. Even Jardine and Waiters have responded on their Twitter feeds. Jardine was very colorful, stating, "I love the game itself to much would never jeopardize everything I work so hard for with something like that! I play this game for free!!”.
Jeff Stoneback, sports book manager at the MGM Mirage in Las Vegas, had not heard anything about the point-shaving rumors and said there has been no erratic betting on Wednesday’s Syracuse-UConn game.
“Usually that would be the tell-tale sign right there,” said Stoneback, a 25-year Las Vegas veteran.
Some of the allegations state that Jardine’s uncle bet on the Orange’s first meeting with Seton Hall this season, on January 8. Syracuse won the game 61-56 but failed to cover as a 7.5-point road favorite. Jardine shot 4 of 11 from the field, including 1 for 6 from 3-point range, to finish with 12 points, three assists and four turnovers. The team’s most recent loss to the Pirates is also under question. The Orange suffered one of the worst losses at home in the program’s history, falling 90-68 as 12.5-point favorites. Jardine scored 11 points in that game, shooting 4 for 10 from the field and finishing with three turnovers.
Both Waiters and Southerland sat out the Orange's most recent game, a 76-70 loss to the Marquette Golden Eagles as 2-point road underdogs Saturday. Waiters (6.5 ppg) averages 16:20 minutes per game while Southerland (5.9 ppg) puts in an average of 17:47 minutes per game this season. Jardine finished that loss to Marquette with 13 points and 13 assists, shooting 5 for 12 from the field with five turnovers.
Syracuse opened the season 18-0 but has since dropped four straight outings, failing to cover the spread in each of those games. The Orange are 18-4 SU with a dismal 7-13 ATS record heading into Wednesday’s road game against the UConn Huskies.
Oddsmakers have Syracuse set as a 3-point road underdog in Storrs Wednesday. The total is set at 139.5.
