Temple, Loyola disclose gambling-related investigations

PHILADELPHIA — Temple University said Friday it will review reports that show at least one game involving its men’s basketball team was flagged for unusual betting activity while Loyola (Md.) said it had removed a person from its basketball program after it became aware of a gambling violation.

The separate investigations emerged within hours of each other and a little more than a week before the NCAA tournaments open and in the midst of conference tournaments.

Loyola said in a statement to the Associated Press it had taken swift action when its basketball program was compromised.

“Loyola was made aware of an individual’s gambling violation that was promptly reported to the NCAA. The individual was immediately removed from the program, and the NCAA accepted the self-report and took no further action,” the school said without identifying the person or the timing of the move.

Loyola said gambling watchdog U.S. Integrity had analyzed its games and “no anomalies” were discovered. In Philadelphia, the betting line for Thursday’s game between Temple and UAB surged from the Blazers opening as a two-point favorite to eight points, per tracking website Covers.com. UAB covered the spread with a 100-72 win at Temple.

“We are aware of the media reports regarding last night’s men’s basketball game,” Temple said. “We will review the reports thoroughly in accordance with university and NCAA policies. While we can’t comment any further at this time, we take this matter very seriously.”

Sharks’ Couture out for the season

San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture confirmed Friday night that he would not play again this season.

Couture, who is third in franchise history with 323 goals, missed the first 45 games of the season with a lower body injury and appeared in just six games before suffering a setback.

The 15-year NHL veteran has appeared in just six games this season for San Jose, which sat last in the Pacific Division entering play Saturday with just 37 points in 62 games.

Also in the NHL, Ottawa Senators forward Parker Kelly was suspended for two games without pay by the NHL on Friday for an illegal check to the head against Los Angeles defenseman Andreas Englund. Kelly was assessed a penalty for an illegal check to the head during the Senators' loss in Los Angeles on Thursday.

MLB: Mookie Betts is already switching spots in the infield for the Los Angeles Dodgers, moving to shortstop from second base.

Los Angeles planned for the six-time Gold Glove and seven-time All-Star outfielder to be the regular second baseman but shifted him to shortstop for Friday night’s spring training game against Cincinnati. Manager Dave Roberts called the switch, 12 days before the opener, “permanent, for now.”

NFL: Former NFL defensive coordinator Sean Desai joined the Los Angeles Rams' coaching staff as a senior assistant. The 40year-old Desai was the Eagles' defensive coordinator last season, replacing Jonathan Gannon. Desai was the Seattle’s associate head coach in 2022. He spent the previous nine years on the Bears' staff.