Before the Tip-Off: The Story of How the Columbus Wizards Came to Be

A look inside the journey that built Columbus’ newest professional basketball team.

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Every team has a beginning. Some organizations are built in boardrooms, backed by

investors and expansion announcements. Others arrive through decades of tradition and institutional backing. The Columbus Wizards began in a much more familiar place for basketball players — inside recreation centers, pickup runs, and late-night games where the love of the sport lives long before anyone is thinking about professional basketball.

The story of the Wizards begins with the game itself and the relationships that form around it.

Casey Gillespie and Jared Smith first met the same way many basketball friendships start — competing. Their paths crossed during pickup games at the Grove City YMCA, where players from around the area would gather simply to run. Over time those games turned into conversations, and those conversations turned into a friendship built through shared competition and respect for the game.

The two would eventually compete together in a local league known as the WCBL, continuing to build their bond through basketball. At the time, neither of them knew that the runs they shared would eventually lead to building a professional basketball organization together. But the foundation was already there.

While Jared’s journey into basketball would eventually shape the Wizards brand itself, Casey’s connection to the sport came from a different path. Casey knew early on that he was never going to be an elite basketball player. He didn’t play in high school or go on to compete collegiately. What he fell in love with instead was the culture of basketball — the energy, the community, and the competition that surrounds the game.

Casey spent years playing in recreation centers across Columbus and competing in pickup games throughout the city. Some of those games took place at the outdoor courts affectionately known as “The Cages” on Ohio State’s campus. Those courts have long been known as a gathering place for serious hoopers — a mix of college athletes, former professionals, and highly competitive local players. Respect on those courts isn’t given freely. It’s earned through competition.

For Casey, those runs weren’t just about basketball. They were about relationships. Through those games he built friendships with many of the athletes who would later become part of the Wizards organization. Basketball became the connector that brought people together.

While those relationships were forming in Columbus gyms and outdoor courts, Jared Smith’s story was developing in its own unique way.

The nickname “Wizard” first appeared when Jared was in eighth grade. Coaches began noticing the way he controlled the basketball. His ball handling, creativity, and ability to manipulate defenders felt almost unexplainable at times. One coach joked that the way he handled the ball looked like wizardry.

The nickname stuck.

Years later, while playing at Ohio Christian University, Jared suffered an MCL tear that forced him into recovery. Instead of stepping away from the game during that time, he leaned deeper into it. During his recovery he spent countless hours in the gym refining his own skills while also helping younger athletes develop theirs.

What started as helping a few players quickly grew into something bigger.

That was the beginning of Wizard Workouts.

Wizard Workouts soon became more than just basketball training sessions. Athletes from across Central Ohio began showing up to train, drawn by the energy and commitment that surrounded the program. The phrase “Wizards in Training” became a mindset — a belief that mastering the game required discipline, skill development, and constant work.

The brand expanded beyond basketball as well. Alongside Gage Brown, Jared helped introduce youth football skills and development programming, continuing to create opportunities for young athletes throughout the community. Recreation league teams formed under the Wizards name, building a reputation for competitiveness, discipline, and skill.

While the Wizards brand was growing within the basketball community, Casey Gillespie was gaining experience building a team of his own.

Casey had been part of launching the Ohio Bruins, a minor league basketball organization that quickly became competitive. Under his leadership the Bruins captured the OBA League Championship in Orlando, Florida in 2021, proving that a successful program could be built through culture, organization, and belief.

But success on the court doesn’t always translate to stability behind the scenes.

Eventually the business relationship behind the Bruins became toxic and unsustainable. The situation reached a point where it could no longer continue, and Casey made the difficult decision to separate from the organization and move forward.

Walking away from something you helped build is never easy. But sometimes it creates the opportunity to build something new.

Around that time, conversations between Casey and Jared began to take shape. Jared had already built momentum through Wizard Workouts, and Casey had experience operating within the professional basketball world. Together they began exploring what it might look like to take the Wizards brand to the next level.

From the very beginning, Casey was intentional about one thing.

Basketball would be the platform, but the community would be the foundation.

The vision was never simply to field a team. The goal was to build an organization that connected with the city, created opportunities for athletes, and used the game as a vehicle for positive impact throughout Columbus.

In June of 2023, that vision officially became reality with the launch of the Columbus Wizards.

Many of the players who helped build the early identity of the team had already shared the court before. Several athletes from the Ohio Bruins made the transition to the Wizards, including Jay Farrow, Gary Hoover, Phil Bledsoe, Alonte Gorham, and Thorne Stephens.

Jared himself played during the Wizards’ inaugural season while continuing to help guide the organization behind the scenes. After that first year he transitioned fully into ownership, focusing on building the long-term future of the franchise.

The Wizards spent their first two seasons competing in the American Basketball Association, compiling a strong 19–11 record and establishing themselves as an exciting team to watch. There were memorable moments along the way, including one remarkable night where the Wizards delivered a 100-point victory that captured attention across the basketball world.

But those seasons were never just about wins and losses.

They were about building something bigger.

Today Casey Gillespie serves as President of the Columbus Wizards and has become, for all intents and purposes, the voice behind the organization. The growth of the Wizards is the result of countless hours of work by Casey and Jared together — building the structure, culture, and partnerships necessary to support a professional team.

At the heart of Casey’s leadership is a simple personal mission: to “be the light.”

The phrase comes from Matthew 5:14–16, which says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds.”

For Casey, the platform of professional basketball provides an opportunity to live out that mission — creating opportunities for athletes, encouraging the next generation, and building something positive within the community.

Along the way, many others have helped shape the organization. Coaches, staff members, media partners, and community supporters have all played roles in helping bring the Wizards vision to life.

That commitment to community has led to partnerships with organizations throughout Central Ohio including A Step in the Right Direction, Special Olympics Ohio, Horizon Science Academy, Noble Academy Columbus, and the Black American Cheer & Dance Association (BACA). These partnerships reflect the Wizards’ belief that sports can be a powerful vehicle for leadership, mentorship, and opportunity.

Now the Columbus Wizards are stepping into the next chapter of their journey as members of The Basketball League.

Tomorrow night the Wizards will tip off their inaugural season in The Basketball League when they travel to Toledo, Ohio to face the Glass City Wranglers.

For the players, coaches, staff, and supporters who have believed in this journey from the beginning, it represents something bigger than just another game.

It represents years of belief, work, and persistence finally stepping onto the professional stage.

What started with pickup runs in a gym… what grew into Wizard Workouts… and what evolved into teams throughout Columbus has now become a men’s professional basketball organization representing the capital city.

Columbus has always loved the game.

Now the city has a team to rally behind.

And tomorrow night, the next chapter of Columbus Wizards history begins