The return of basketball to the ABAC campus was something ABAC President Tracy Brundage wanted shortly after arriving on campus in the fall of 2022. That dream is also what attracted Athletic Director Charles Wimberly to the position less than a year later.
After it was made official by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents in May of 2023, Wimberly rolled up his sleeves and went to work. Now, the dream will become a reality when the ABAC Fillies return to the college's Gressette Gym this fall.
"When you are tasked with rebuilding a program, you know it's going to take a lot of work," Wimberly said. "And after you begin, you realize it's even more than you thought. But I've been blessed with a fantastic administration that understands why it's important and why it needs to be done the right way. It's almost surreal to think what it will be like to step on that court for the first time."
Wimberly's roster is young, which is to be expected with a program that hasn't played a game in 16 years. In fact, it features 15 freshmen, one sophomore and two juniors. The coach knows that part of the process.
"It's a great group," he said. "And youth isn't always a bad thing. Our players have come together even better than I hoped and there's a buzz around campus. I've drilled into them that everything we do will be a first and that goes for every athletic team we have. This is our first year in a four-year conference, in the Southern States Athletic Conference, and in the NAIA. It's an exciting time and it's important that everyone at ABAC understands that."
The Fillies' first game is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26 against Community Christian College in Gressette Gym. The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.