Wilkerson signs scholarship with Shorter
Unity Christian School senior Austin Wilkerson signed a basketball scholarship Thursday with Shorter University in Rome.
Wilkerson said of the signing: “This means everything to me. Since I was 4 years old, it has been my dream to play college basketball, so having the opportunity to do this is a huge blessing. It’s definitely something that, without God, I wouldn’t have, so I’m very thankful for it.”
“Academically, I liked Shorter a lot because I’ll be able to get my masters in four years, and that will set me up for success in life. It’s also such a close-knit community and Christian university, so it is similar to what I’ve grown up in here. Athletically, it’s the highest level I had the chance to play at, so that’s the challenge I wanted.”
“These last few months of high school, I’m trying to spend as much time with my close friends as I can because we’re all about to go to college, some pretty far away. But I’m excited to graduate and move on to my next chapter and play basketball again, too. It’s almost like I’ll be starting over there so I’m excited to start there.”
Also attending the signing ceremony Thursday and pictured along with Wilkerson (seated, second from right) were (seated, from left) brother Jordan Wilkerson, mother Jodi Wilkerson, father Danny Wilkerson, (standing, from left) Unity Christian School athletic director Russ Dyer, Unity Christian School assistant boys basketball coach Mark Gray, Unity Christian School assistant boys basketball coach James Wisener, Unity Christian School middle school principal and former head boys basketball
coach Matt Claytor and Unity Christian School head basketball coach Davy Fisher.
Wilkerson finished his Unity
Christian career as the program’s all-time leading scorer as well as a three-time all-state player and four-time all-region player.