Three UTEP men's hoops players dismissed after gambling probe

Jan 7, 2014 - 11:58 PM El Paso, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - UTEP announced the dismissal of three men's basketball players that were under investigation by the FBI for wagering on sporting events during a press conference held Tuesday.

Guard McKenzie Moore, the Miners' leading scorer this season, was kicked off the team along with Jalen Ragland and Justin Crosgile after evidence that all three were engaging in sports betting was presented to the university. Both Moore and Ragland were suspended in late December for what head coach Tim Floyd initially said was an unspecified violation of team rules.

According to the El Paso Times, university vice president of legal affairs Ricardo Aduato stated that the school contacted the local FBI office once it became aware of the players' possible involvement in gambling. Aduato said there were no indications that the three were betting on UTEP games or that they were engaged in point shaving.

Under NCAA rules, student-athletes found to have participated in sports betting automatically receive a one-year ban from competition as well as a loss of one year of eligibility. Crosgile is a senior, while Moore and Ragland are juniors.

Moore was averaging a team-best 13.1 points in 11 games this season. Crosgile started five times in 14 appearances and averaged 5.4 points and 2.1 rebounds, while Ragland averaged 3.7 points over nine outings.