NCAA Bans Former Iona Guard Adam Njie Jr.

The NCAA has declared former Iona guard Adam Njie Jr. permanently ineligible, concluding he conspired to shave points during the 2024–25 season while a freshman at Iona. Njie maintains he did not carry out any plan to throw games and cooperated with investigators, and the NCAA’s release says he acknowledged violations after interviews with enforcement staff.

The association opened its probe after a source interviewed in July and September identified two known bettors who had contacted Njie. The Mississippi Gaming Commission later flagged three wagers totaling $15,000 that bet on Rice to cover the first-half spread against Iona in the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship in the Bahamas.

In the Rice game the score was tied 35-35 at halftime and Iona covered the spread. Njie scored nine of his 19 points in the first half. The NCAA reports it found evidence Njie faced threats from gamblers after the Rice game and that he later assured those bettors he would make up the losses in a Dec. 6 game against Sacred Heart.

In the Sacred Heart game Njie did not attempt a first-half shot, Iona trailed by 21 at the break and lost 83-59. The NCAA did not identify the specific wager bettors sought to manipulate; the full-game line for that contest ranged between Iona -1 and -1.5.

Njie was not criminally charged. He transferred from Iona to Dayton in 2025 but was barred from play during NCAA and Department of Justice investigations; he later transferred to Hampton in May. The NCAA enforcement action is separate from federal prosecutions tied to a wider college basketball corruption scheme.

A Jan. 15 federal indictment in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania named six men described by prosecutors as fixers. That broader case has produced convictions in related matters and ongoing prosecutions in other districts. Federal filings allege fixers targeted underdog teams and players whose potential bribe payments would meaningfully supplement or exceed legitimate name, image and likeness earnings. Prosecutors also allege at least one fixer sent halftime text messages to players during games to steer efforts to influence outcomes.

The NCAA emphasized that sharing information with a bettor is prohibited and is treated the same as point shaving for enforcement purposes, regardless of whether a student-athlete follows through on a plan. The association noted that student-athletes found to have violated NCAA rules are ineligible and can be reinstated only with assistance from an NCAA school.

Njie’s ineligibility is an administrative sanction under the NCAA’s enforcement process and not a criminal judgment. Federal and NCAA inquiries tied to the broader scheme remain active.