Raider basketball players and their coach expressed disappointment in Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (’12) after he was arrested for allegedly altering his play to influence sports-betting outcomes.
Rozier was one of three former and current NBA players who were among 30 people arrested Oct. 23 in an investigation involving sports betting and rigged poker games. The gambling scandal was tied to La Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian Italian-American criminal society commonly referred to as the Mafia.
After playing two seasons of college basketball at Louisville, Rozier was the 16th overall NBA draft pick in 2015. He played for the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets before being traded to the Heat in 2024.
Varsity men’s basketball head coach Danny Young was surprised by the news. “I’m disappointed because, like, you hit the golden lottery ticket. You were there for nine years, and have a great career,” Young said. “Sometimes you have to pay the price for what you decided to do.”
According to a NYT investigation, Roizer is accused of telling his co-conspirators that he was planning to leave a game in March 2023 early because of an injury, information that was unknown to team officials, the indictment said. Co-conspirators are accused of placing $200,000 on his “under” totals, and then splitting the proceeds with Rozier.
Senior basketball player Shane Karlowicz said that he didn’t think it was an appropriate choice for professional athletes to be betting. “I think it’s sad, as Terry and many others were making millions and wasted their careers and possibly some of their life to gamble against themselves,” he said.
Along with the NBA, other major sports leagues such as the NHL, NFL and MLB have confronted instances of players falling into the betting trap.
Sophomore basketball player Ronan Malone said that he has seen sports betting in sports other than basketball as well. “Emmanuel Clase on the Guardians was just suspended for some kind of sports betting, and he was one of my favorite pitchers. I don’t think players should be completely suspended though,” he said. “It’s kind of unfair.”
According to a 2023 NCAA study, 67 percent of all college students are gambling on sports. Sports betting was legalized nationwide in a 2018 Supreme Court decision.
“I have never bet on sports before, but I don’t think it’s completely terrible. The sports betting on singular plays and individual events is kind of crazy, though,” Malone said.
In his senior year, Rozier averaged 25.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.7 steals per game while leading the Raiders to a 21–3 record and the regional semifinals for the first time since 2002.
Young described Rozier as a charismatic person on and off the court throughout high school. “He was amazing. I had him as a freshman all the way up to senior year. He had a lot of private schools that wanted him to transfer to their schools. I convinced him to stay in Shaker, and we won a lot of games together,” Young said.
Roizer was named an All-Lake Erie League selection for three years and was 74th in recruiting ranking on ESPNU‘s Top 100 Players list in 2012.
Young said that the scandal does not define Rozier as a person. “So, do I look at them differently? No. Am I disappointed? Yes,” said Young. “But we all make mistakes and fall short.”
