NCAA bans four Alabama State players for life in game fixing case

The NCAA has permanently banned four former Alabama State players after ruling they accepted money from gamblers to influence the outcome of a 2024 game against Southern Miss.

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has ruled four members of Alabama State’s 2024-25 men’s basketball team permanently ineligible after determining they accepted money from gamblers to influence the outcome of a game, the organization announced Friday.

Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, Corey Hines and Tony Madlock were found to have participated in game manipulation during Alabama State’s Dec. 5, 2024 matchup against Southern Miss. Southern Miss, a six-point favorite, went on to win the game 81-64.

According to the NCAA’s investigation, two known bettors offered the players a combined $2,000 to ensure the outcome of the contest. The players accepted the arrangement and were later paid. Knox, Hines and Madlock were the Hornets’ top three scorers during the 2024-25 season, while Fulcher played a reserve role.

Check out the video below for some background on the case.

Knox had previously been celebrated as a program hero, hitting a game-winning layup with one second remaining to give Alabama State its first NCAA Tournament victory, a 70-68 win over Saint Francis in the 2025 First Four.

The scheme came to light after Hines transferred to Temple. School officials alerted NCAA enforcement after Hines disclosed that he had been contacted by the FBI and shown text messages related to a sports integrity investigation stemming from his time at Alabama State.

The two bettors involved were indicted in January by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on charges including wire fraud and bribery tied to sports contests.

None of the four players competed at the college level last season.