Whatever happened to Jay? Always enjoyed watching him play. I like to keep up with former players. Thanks.
Jay Shidler
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One of the subs for the '78 team. Would have had some higher scoring games if they had the 3pt shot back then and probably would have been a 1,000 point scorer.
White Lightning was his handle (bleach blonde hair)
He had a quick release.
3 pointer distance were layups some nights.
He had a quick release.
3 pointer distance were layups some nights.
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Absolutely, for some reason lost his confidence toward the end of his freshman season but did develop into a solid player in his last couple of years. Could really shoot and was very athletic. I saw him dunk a basketball standing flat footed underneath the rim at one of Coach Hall's open practices.
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anon_q409idbs5m40a
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Last time I saw Shidler was 1980 at the Library Lounge. He was working the door there and seemed to be a personable guy.
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And what a lot don't know is that he was a great football player in HS as well.
So sorry to hear that. Hope he is better.
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anon_q409idbs5m40a
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Yes, and I was there during the 1978 National Title celebration in the Coliseum and they showed pictures of Shidler in his football uniform. According to a lot of sources, he could have played either sport in college.
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I saw him playing flag football for "The Lodge" while I was at UK. So fast that no one could keep up with him. I always wondered how much Coach Hall knew about his players participating in intramural sports. Would not have been good had someone turned an ankle or messed up a knee.
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Boulder, do you recall that he was dating a cheerleader from Ashland during his freshman season? Apparently, he went home with her for Christmas and the Ashland Newspaper (can't recall the name) had a big article about it with pictures.
I vaguely recall him and a cheerleader. My impression though was he probably cheated on her.
Rumor was he had relations with coach Halls daughter and his playing time suffered from it.
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anon_q409idbs5m40a
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Love the Converse All-Stars. I still have a pair of them in blue and white but haven't worn them for years.
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As I recall, she had blonde hair and just like all of the UK female cheerleaders, was very pretty.
It is a wonder that Pitino didn't date her. Or maybe he did.
I worked with Jay at Amazon a few years back. Seemed like a really nice guy. When I was 11,12 years old he was always my favorite player.
I remember him as "The Blond Bomber".
I remember Cawood referring to him as “White lightening” his freshman year but changed it to the “Blonde bomber after that. I always wondered why the change.
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He was a guard under Coach Hall during the late '70's. Came onto the scene as a freshman and really lit it up during the first half of the season. He managed to get into Coach Hall's doghouse about midway through the season and wasn't the same after that. However, as stated earlier, he got his head together and became a solid player at UK. Long range outside shooter, quick and athletic. Always wondered how he would have done under a system similar to that of Pitino's, with a face paced offense and the three point line. For a while he was the most popular UK player in the state.
He started as a freshman in ‘77 which was unusual at UK back then. Lost playing time the next year to Macy and Claytor but he was the first guard off the bench. He was a good long range shooter, thus the Blond Bomber nickname.
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I was good friends with Jay and Tim Stephens freshman year. Jay and Tim were roommates freshman year. We lived in Holmes Hall and hung out frequently. Jay did date a girl from Ashland (she was a UK cheerleader). Went to Tolly Ho with them about 3 nights a week and played ball with them in Memorial frequently. Stayed in touch with them after I left UK my junior year to help keep the family business alive. Last contact with Jay was in the early 2000’s and he was working for the parks department at the time and saw Tim at my store in Louisville in the early 1990’s. Tim was coaching girls basketball back in McCreary County. These 2 guys were a blast to hang with and I loved getting their leftovers (adoring female fans, NOT Tolly Ho) 
lol.
Jays nickname WAS the blonde bomber from Lawrenceville Illinois
Tim’s nickname was the ‘Bread Man’. He says he’s $ from the corner...
lol. Jays nickname WAS the blonde bomber from Lawrenceville Illinois
Tim’s nickname was the ‘Bread Man’. He says he’s $ from the corner...
Yes he did start some but not all, and it was definitely 1976/77 season. He fell from grace some his sophomore year because his defense was lacking and he became inconsistent with his jump shot.
I used to visit Lawrenceville, Illinois on business. It is a small town near Vincennes, Indiana. They had a bar downtown that I used to visit. They had several pictures of Jay on the wall during his high school days. He was a great high school player and a legend in that town.I was good friends with Jay and Tim Stephens freshman year. Jay and Tim were roommates freshman year. We lived in Holmes Hall and hung out frequently. Jay did date a girl from Ashland (she was a UK cheerleader). Went to Tolly Ho with them about 3 nights a week and played ball with them in Memorial frequently. Stayed in touch with them after I left UK my junior year to help keep the family business alive. Last contact with Jay was in the early 2000’s and he was working for the parks department at the time and saw Tim at my store in Louisville in the early 1990’s. Tim was coaching girls basketball back in McCreary County. These 2 guys were a blast to hang with and I loved getting their leftovers (adoring female fans, NOT Tolly Ho)
Jays nickname WAS the blonde bomber from Lawrenceville Illinois
Tim’s nickname was the ‘Bread Man’. He says he’s $ from the corner...
I don't think he fell from grace, he got injured and was never exactly the same after that. His stats don't seem to reflect that though. I also remember him punching and knocking down a player on another team. In terms of his shooting, I remember watching him in warm-ups shooting 3's (if they had existed then) from where the NBA line would have been. He didn't miss it was amazing to see.
Fell from grace were Jays words, not mine. And yes Halls dog house was hard to get out of..
I think he is driving for Lyft, Uber or a cab company now. My son lives in Lexington and shot me a pic of himself with Shidler in a car/cab. He said Jay was really cool and didn't come right out and tell them about playing for UK until the questioning/conversation led to it. Said he was a really nice guy.
Jay was a good shooter. But it wasn’t Macy that took his spot. Truman Claytor was better defensively and also a pretty good shoot (didn’t shoot as deep, but again it was before the three point line). Neither Jay nor Truman was a point guard to run Halls front line oriented offense. Macy was the key to that title.
In Southern Illinois I first heard the phrase “he never saw a shoot he didn’t like” applied to Jay.
In Southern Illinois I first heard the phrase “he never saw a shoot he didn’t like” applied to Jay.