Alabama State Player Denies Involvement in Gambling Scandal
David Genge Published 19/06/2026
One of four Alabama State basketball players who were ruled ineligible for their part in a gambling scandal, TJ Madlock, is proclaiming his innocence. He insists he took no part in any of the calls that set up the plan to manipulate the outcome of the game in question.
Madlock was injured and did not play in the game that the players are accused of fixing. He doesn't understand how he could be banned for fixing a game in which he didn't play. Madlock is demanding a retraction from the NCAA. He has hired an attorney and is prepared to take legal action if his name isn't cleared.
Four Alabama State basketball players were ruled ineligible by the NCAA
The four Alabama State players - Madlock, Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, and Corey Hines - were ruled ineligible after being found to have conspired to throw a game against Southern Mississippi on December 5, 2024.
According to an FBI investigation, a bettor initiated contact with Knox. The four student-athletes were offered money to throw the Southern Mississippi game. Knox, Fulcher, Hines, and Madlock then participated in a FaceTime call with the bettor the morning of the game. At the time, Madlock told the bettor he was not going to be playing that night because of an injury. The group agreed on the call to throw the game.
Cooperating with the investigation, Knox reported that he, Fulcher, Hines, and Madlock received a total of $2,000 from a second known bettor for throwing the game against Southern Mississippi. Southern Mississippi won the game by a score of 81-64.
Madlock is denying his involvement
In an exclusive interview with the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Madlock insists that he was not at all involved in the plan to fix the outcome of the game. He claims that he was never part of any FaceTime call to discuss a plan to throw the game.
“Nothing that [the NCAA] put out is true,” Madlock told Commercial Appeal reporter Jason Munz. “I was added into a group chat, but I never responded to anyone’s texts. Why would I respond, knowing I wouldn’t be playing? Also, why would somebody pay me for sitting on the bench? That doesn’t even make any sense.”
Madlock was suffering an injury in Alabama State's game before the Southern Mississippi game. He missed the remainder of that game, the Southern Mississippi game, and Alabama State's next game.
Alabama State's coach at the time was Tony Madlock, TJ's father. Today, the elder Madlock is an assistant coach at Memphis State.
TJ Madlock says Alabama State compliance director Stephanie Thompson and athletic director Jason Cable were advising him that he didn't need to be a participant in the NCAA investigation.
“They came back and said, ‘TJ does not have to interview,’ since I was already overseas ([laying professional basketball] and I had no more eligibility left,” Madlock said.
Madlock's lawyer, Don Jackson, is claiming that his client was the victim of poor counseling by the school's leadership.
“Everybody thinks when your eligibility is up, you’re done, you’re finished,” Jackson said. “The truth of the matter is that was bad advice. And what came from it is essentially equivalent to a default judgment.”
Madlock may pursue legal action against the NCAA
Madlock, through his attorney, is demanding a retraction of his suspension by the NCAA.
“If it’s not corrected, [Madlock is] going to have no alternative other than to pursue legal action against the NCAA and selected individuals that were involved," Jackson said.
He wants to follow in his father's footsteps one day and coach college basketball. But Madock can't do that while he's on the NCAA ineligible list.
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