The NCAA revealed on Friday that four members of Alabama State’s 2024-25 men’s basketball roster violated sports betting integrity rules.
Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, Corey Hines and Tony Madlock participated in game fixing during their December 5, 2024 matchup against Southern Miss, where the Hornets lost 81-64 despite Southern Miss being favored by six points.
According to NCAA enforcement interviews with Knox, Fulcher connected the four teammates with known gamblers through a group chat. Madlock told the bettors he was hurt and wouldn’t participate in the contest. The gamblers then offered the quartet $2,000 collectively to manipulate the outcome, which the players agreed to and received payment for.
The Hornets actually held a 33-30 advantage at the break, but managed just 23 successful shots out of 71 attempts (32.4%) throughout the contest, while Southern Miss connected on 30 of 60 shots (50%).
Alabama State went on to win seven of their last eight regular season contests, claimed the SWAC tournament championship and beat Saint Francis in the 2025 NCAA Tournament’s First Four round.
Knox scored the decisive basket with one second left on the clock, securing the program’s first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament win.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted the bettors in January 2026 on wire fraud and sports bribery charges. Hines and Fulcher, who refused to cooperate and gave false statements to enforcement officials, also face federal indictments.
Madlock, whose college playing career had ended, refused to speak with enforcement personnel.
All four players sat out last season from college basketball. Without help from an NCAA institution, Hines, Fulcher and Knox are permanently barred from reinstatement.
