ATLANTA — Alabama State guard CJ Hines taps the green message icon on his phone and scrolls to his father’s name for a brief motivational statement each morning on game days. It’s a pregame ritual that the HBCU hoops star and his father, Corey, have shared with each other well before Hines donned a black and old gold Hornets’ uniform in the 2025 SWAC Tournament.
The routine message dates back to Hines’ tenure as a standout guard at nearby Archer High School in Lawrenceville, Ga., and his days as a NAIA first-team All-American at Faulkner University, a private Christian university in Montgomery, Alabama. When Hines woke up Saturday in preparation for No. 5 seed Alabama State’s matchup against No. 2 seed Jackson State in the 2025 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game, the elder Hines’ text message to his son was simple yet personal.
“It was a great message today,” Hines told HBCU Gameday with a laugh. “He [Corey] basically tells me that I’m that dude. … I know I’m that dude, but it is always different when you can hear it from your pops.”
Fuel for the fire
Despite Hines’ confidence in his skills, the SWAC basketball coaches and sports information directors felt slightly different. The Hornets’ guard failed to earn a spot on the list of players who earned All-SWAC men’s basketball recognition released on Monday before the conference tournament. Hines was one of three players — Amarr Knox and TJ Madlock — who averaged double-digit point totals (14.2 points per game) for the Hornets this season.
His denial from the league’s coveted docket of HBCU basketball players activated a burning desire inside of him to prove that he belonged among the SWAC’s top echelon. The rejection worked. Hines finished with a team-high 20 points — his sixth game of 20 or more points this season — three rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Alabama State (19-15) upset Jackson State (16-18) 60-56 in front of 3,154 energized fans inside Gateway Center Arena at College Park.
After we [Alabama State] had our film [session], and we talked about [the list], I said I want you [CJ] to have a chip on your shoulder,” said Hornets head coach Tony Madlock. “…They left him off [the list] and he did so many things for this team.”
For Hines, it was a moment of redemption and memory that his father will cherish forever. With the victory, the Hornets captured their fifth SWAC tournament title since 2001 and the program‘s first since 2011.
Words from a father
“As a father … I [Corey] gave him the biggest hug once [the game] was over with and told him well deserved,” the elder Hines told HBCU Gameday. “This whole tournament has been personal. … He knew he deserved to be on one of those [All-SWAC] [postseason] teams. … At the end of the day, he came here and he showed why he should have been on the team. …He has the other awards now, the ones he’s really going to hold on to. …It’s a beautiful thing when you see your kids achieve their goals.”
Not only did Hines find his rhythm and smooth stroke to lead the Hornets in scoring. But the men’s SWAC tournament MVP was also the most efficient, converting 8-of-15 shots from the floor that included 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Hines delivered down the stretch of a tight game against JSU, scoring six — two of his four three pointers — within the final 7:30 of the contest.
During the Jan. 11 clash between the two teams, the Tigers bested the Hornets on the road 77-70. Still, Hines finished with 14 points.
Although Hines started his career at Faulkner University (FU), he dreamed of playing Division I basketball. When James Jackson left FU after two seasons to become the Hornets director of recruiting, player relations, and community engagement. He guided Hines through his transition from NAIA to the SWAC, helping the Hornets’ guard fulfill his D-I dream. Hines’ first year at Alabama State was not perfect.
However, with Jackson and Madlock’s belief in the 6’2” guard, that was all Hines needed.
Words from coach
“When you come from NAIA to Division I, it takes you a little time to get adjusted,” Madlock said. “He [CJ Hines] started every game [last season]. I just believed in him [Hines]. This year, he played his butt off. He’s already graduated, he’s working on a MBA. I’m just so proud of him.”
Alabama State’s victory on Saturday — a team that was predicted to finish eighth in the SWAC’s preseason poll — marked only the second time in the last seven seasons that the Hornets played in the SWAC tournament. The 2023-24 season marked the first time the program competed for the league’s crown since 2019.
Hines helped the Hornets win nine of their last 10 HBCU basketball games leading up to Saturday’s SWAC title game. Now, he and his teammates will find out which team Alabama State will face in the men’s NCAA tournament when the full 68-team bracket is announced during Selection Sunday on March 16.
“… This is what he wanted … to play D-I ball and to play to get to March Madness,” Hines’ father said. “He did it. …I’m probably more excited than they [Alabama State players] are.”
Hines agreed. “I had to let all them coaches know what they missed out on,” he added… “I was upset that I wasn’t on the [postseason All-SWAC team] list. But, it just fueled me for these three games and I’m glad we got the ring.”
