NCAA Bans Four Former Alabama State Basketball Players for Game Fixing

The NCAA has declared four former players from Alabama State University's men's basketball team permanently ineligible due to their involvement in game manipulation, according to an announcement made on June 5. The athletes—Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, Corey Hines, and Tony Madlock—reportedly accepted a total of $2,000, with each player receiving $500 from two gamblers to influence the outcome of a game.

This incident occurred during the Hornets' matchup against Southern Miss on December 5, 2024, where Alabama State suffered an 81-64 defeat, despite being only a six-point underdog. Knox, Hines, and Matlock were the team's leading scorers that season, averaging over 12.5 points per game.

The Hornets later qualified for the 2025 NCAA Tournament, marking a historic moment by securing their first March Madness victory with a narrow 70-68 win over Saint Francis, a game in which Knox scored the decisive basket just before the final buzzer. None of the implicated players participated in the 2025-26 season.

The NCAA's investigation began after Temple University alerted its enforcement staff in July 2025 about Hines, who had transferred there after the previous season. Hines was approached by the FBI regarding text messages that indicated a breach of sports integrity during his time with the Hornets.

In a related legal matter, the two bettors involved were indicted in January by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, facing charges of wire fraud and bribery linked to sports events. Knox informed NCAA investigators that Fulcher had created a group chat with one of the bettors, who solicited players to manipulate the game's outcome against Southern Miss.