Former 'Dog to tell all in Web video

By Laban Pelz
The Collegian

Former Fresno State basketball player Dominick Young is planning to release a video he said will expose the truth about why he and teammate Chris Herren were accused of point-shaving in 1997.

The former point guard Tuesday said the video, which is to be released on the Internet Oct. 15 for a viewing fee, will reveal the administrative cover-up that led to the accusations. He said it will reveal other events as well, some of which happened as late as 2001.

“I can’t say right now what’s on it,” Young said. “It’s just a lot of stuff.”

He said he is releasing the video now to begin his film career.

“It’s just one of my projects,” he said. “I’m there for the players and the fans because they need to know the truth.”

In 1997 Young and Herren were accused of shaving points for money. In one game against Wyoming, Young missed three late-game free throws, airballing on one. The team failed to cover the point spread, something it often had trouble doing that season.

Young said it was reporting by the Fresno Bee that led to FBI and federal grand jury investigations of him and Herren. Nothing has ever been concluded.

“They never found anything with point-shaving because there wasn’t any,” Young said.

He said it was all a conspiracy between Fresno State administration and local law enforcement to draw attention away from University President John Welty and others.

“There’s got to be that connection to protect them,” Young said of the relationship between Fresno State administration and the police department.

Young said Welty is the first to get on the phone and clear himself when there’s a scandal, but will let athletes take the fall.

“Welty is going to keep it under the mat.” Young said. “Athletes they expose, but administrators they keep it under the mat.”

Young said it comes as no surprise to him that Fresno State has had so much trouble in recent years with its athletics department, especially its basketball teams. He said former basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian was “abused” by the administration, and former coach Ray Lopes backed down too easily.

“It’s a blessing they got Steve Cleveland,” Young said of Fresno State’s new basketball coach. “He’s just a player’s coach who can turn Fresno State all the way around. I’d like to see Cleveland for the next 10 years.”

Young said he also appreciated the fans while he was playing. He said it is with the administration, and especially with Welty, that he has problems.

University spokeswoman Shirley Armbruster said she believes Welty is aware of Young’s remarks, but said he and the school had nothing to say.

“It’s not something he wants to comment on at this point,” Armbruster said. She said the university might comment once Young’s video is released.

Young filed an $11.2 million libel lawsuit against the Fresno Bee in 1997, saying the point-shaving accusations were false and hurt his chances of playing professional basketball. He said he and the Bee eventually settled, but wouldn’t explain what that meant.

Young, 32, is originally from Chicago. After leaving Fresno State without graduating he spent some time in the American Basketball Association, and now partly owns an ABA team in Chicago.

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