The newest member of the UNBC Timberwolves Wall of Honour has a game yet to be matched.
Jay Gladish currently holds the men’s basketball all-time points record with 1,178 in five seasons over six years in Prince George, a bar that remains set to date, even nearly a decade after the school joined U SPORTS in 2012, Canada's highest level of university sport.
The Chilliwack product didn’t help the T-Wolves win a championship, but turned a lot of heads toward the northern capital that may have encouraged others to join the growing program.
“Jay was unassuming but carried himself with poise and quiet confidence,” said Dennis Stark, who was a rookie during Gladish’s senior season.
“On the court, he was special; smooth, creative, athletic, and passionate. Most importantly, he never, ever backed down, and the Prince George fans loved him for it. When our teams were practicing at a local high school and playing at the college, the team didn’t have many five-year vets. Jay was an example and inspiration what veteran leaders could bring to a team. He was a leader and a builder for our program, and he deserves this so much.”
Gladish’s influence sparked an eventual BC Provincial Championship (BCCAA) for the green and gold two years after his graduation.
Head Coach Todd Jordan, who was also a former teammate with the two-time UNBC Most Outstanding Player of the Year from 2002 to 2004, said the team’s drive and on-court strategy noticeably improved year by year as a result.
This was, in part, a reason why Jordan joined the coaching staff in 2005.
“Jay was an incredibly crafty and gifted scorer during his time in a UNBC jersey,” Jordan explained.
“To score 20 points per game in a season is extremely difficult, especially for a smaller guard like he was. He was an excellent shooter and a fiery competitor. He really made a major impact on our program, and you can still feel that today.”
Gladish took a year off between his second and third years, but only to come back, pistons firing to back-to-back top-two scoring positions, including a league-best 359 points, averaging 19.9 points per game, in 2005-06.
His efforts were rewarded with a BCCAA First Team All-Star nod, one of only five in UNBC history to earn that feat.
Gladish’s talent was also perceived as artistry on offense, as explained by former associate coach Dale Dergousoff.
“I think Jay actually played in the wrong era,” he said.
“[Gladish] could really shoot the ball from long-range, and would have been even more deadly now. He made the most of his talents with is hard work, and he carried those teams for years.”
Gladish was also known to make his teammates better athletes and set them up for prime scoring scenarios. His career 230 assists are fourth among all-time men’s basketball players, second among athletes prior to UNBC’s promotion to U SPORTS.
Accolades for Gladish are as follows:
- 2007-08 = Best Defensive Player
- 2006-07 = BCCAA Second Team All-Star
- 2006-07 = Most Outstanding Player
- 2005-06 = BCCAA First Team All-Star
- 2005-06 = Most Outstanding Player
- 2005-06 = Best Defensive Player
- 2003-04 = Best Defensive Player
- 2002-03 = Rookie of the Year
He’s the second men’s basketball player next to Inderbir Gill and fifth UNBC alum to be inducted into the T-Wolves’ Wall of Honour.
The Athletics department is unveiling more of its inaugural 2021 class of 15 former student-athletes in the coming weeks.
The other inductees announced thus far are Tofa Fakunle (men’s soccer), Mercedes VanKoughnett (women’s basketball) and Sidney Roy (women’s soccer).
