Jan 29, 2026, 02:34 PM ET
As Kennesaw State continues its season without its best player after he was charged with point shaving, Owls coach Antoine Pettway focused his attention on the sports betting "predators" who organized the scheme.
Simeon Cottle, the preseason Conference USA player of the year, was among four active men's college basketball players, along with 16 former players and six other defendants, who were charged Jan. 15 with intentionally underperforming in exchange for money. Cottle, who had been averaging a team-high 20.2 points per game, was subsequently suspended indefinitely from team activities.
Pettway addressed the allegations after the Owls' first home game since Cottle was indicted, a 72-69 win over Western Kentucky on Wednesday. While Pettway said he wasn't giving a pass to players who took bribes, he expressed more frustration with the plot's ringleaders.
"You're being a predator online and you're reaching out to them, getting these dudes to mess up," Pettway told reporters. "Because there's a lot of dudes on that list that you feel bad for, that they've got a long road ahead of them because, in the dark, a grown-up reached out to them and led them down the wrong path."
According to the federal indictment, Cottle, former Kennesaw State guard Demond Robinson and an unnamed third person received $40,000 for allegedly intentionally underperforming during the first half of a March 2024 game at Queens University.
"I think something needs to be done about these predators that are reaching out to these young dudes in college basketball who don't have a lot and dangle this money in front of their faces," Pettway said.
The defendants have been charged with bribery in sporting contests and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The bribery charges carry a maximum sentence of five years. The fraud charges carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years.
The Owls have gone 2-2 since the charges were made public, with both wins coming over the Hilltoppers. RJ Johnson led the Owls with 19 points in Wednesday's win.
Information from ESPN's David Purdum was used in this report.
