Former Detroit high-school and college basketball standout Josh McFolley says he was “collateral damage” in an overseas match-fixing scandal that led to several suspensions, including a decade-long ban for McFolley.

McFolley was one of five players who received bans last month from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the British Basketball Federation (BBF), from his time playing for the Surrey Scorchers in the British Basketball League during the 2022-23 season.

McFolley, 28, said in a recent email to The News that he was not involved in fixing games, but that he also didn’t report what was going on. He said the international federations’ investigation involved all of the Americans on the team.

“I was collateral damage because I did not report what happened,” McFolley wrote in an email to The News. “I was new to the team, I came the last two months of the season and I just wanted to play ball. … I averaged (19.5 points, 3.9 assists and 2.5 rebounds) which showed I was not manipulating games.

“When I came to that team they were a losing team and I made sure to play and get good stats so the next season, I could go someplace better.”

The next season, 2023-24, McFolley played in Luxembourg, “with no problems at all and good stats.”

“Now that I have come back home and wanting to stay in basketball,” McFolley continued, “the first thing when someone looks up my name is this article which is putting me in a bad light.”

McFolley’s suspension from FIBA is a worldwide ban that is scheduled to run through at least 2034, when he’ll be in his 30s. FIBA said he was given the opportunity to appeal.

McFolley said that is correct, but that it was not realistic. He said the appeals process cost $8,000, which he did not have. He wasn’t even making that much money playing, he said.

McFolley also said he wasn’t interviewed as part of the investigation.

FIBA, through a spokesperson, Dimitris Kontos, said it couldn’t discuss the specifics of the case, per its internal regulations. But Kontos disputed the claim McFolley wasn’t given an opportunity to give his side of the story.

“In accordance with FIBA’s internal regulations, no sanctions involving suspensions are issued without safeguarding the right to be heard of the concerned parties,” Kontos said in an email to The News.

“This case has not been an exception.”

Kontos said FIBA would not comment further on the case, which led to worldwide bans of varying lengths for six former players with the Surrey Scorchers.

McFolley played four seasons at Detroit Mercy, from 2015-19, making the Horizon League’s all-freshman team and averaging 11.7 points during his career, including 13.5 points as a senior. In high school, McFolley guided Detroit Western to a 26-0 record and state championship during his senior season.

Since leaving college, he has played professionally overseas, in England, Luxembourg, Finland, Georgia, Kosovo and Slovakia, as well as in the United States.

“I have been playing basketball since I was 5 years old and have had a successful basketball career in high school, college and overseas,” McFolley said in the email to The News; he declined a follow-up interview, saying everything he needed to say was in his emails. “I just want to be able to work in basketball (whether playing or coaching) and not have this shadow that has now been cast upon me and my character when trying to get jobs.”

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984