Bradley University was among the best college basketball teams in the United States entering the 1949-1950 basketball season. Some observers and pundits believed they were the finest. The Braves were led by their 5'8" point guard Gene Melchiorre. The star player and two of his teammates were confronted by gamblers when they traveled to New York City for a game. This was an era when bettors encouraged athletes to shave points off scores in order for gamblers to profit. Hoodlums sometimes accompanied college basketball squads across the country in order to control point spreads in return for money.