Paul Biancardi
Written by Carissa Georgelos | October 2021
“It just becomes like any other relationship. You get to know somebody and spend time with them in a natural, genuine way.”
In Knoxville, Tennessee, the media awaited the Ohio State Buckeyes, who just defeated St. John’s Red Storm, leading them to the 1999 men’s Final Four. But, deep in the locker room, Ohio State’s 5-foot-10 guard, James ‘Scoonie’ Penn, was crying. When he appeared, assistant coach Paul Biancardi met Penn with an embrace and a reminder: “this is what all the work was for.”
“The embrace we had in that moment was very powerful, because a lot of people don't know what you go through,” Penn, now assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies, said. “But he knew what I went through. So for him to be there throughout the journey and the end result was special.”
Biancardi, the ESPN National Recruiting Director for Boys High School Basketball, has centered his life around a love for basketball. It’s the cornerstone for the relationships he’s developed with players and where he’s witnessed boys grow into men.
“The whole thing’s inspiring,” Biancardi reminisced. “Knowing you’re part of them and you stayed connected with them the whole time – that's like a fairy tale story.”
As the assistant coach for Boston College in 1995, Biancardi noted Penn as a dynamic guard that exemplified leadership and energy during an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) game in Boston. Biancardi knew he wanted Penn, so he watched and sent him handwritten notes explaining how Penn’s game would fit with the Eagles.
Biancardi even recalls helping Penn put a tie together in front of a bathroom mirror before Penn’s interview with the college admissions office. It’s a moment they still laugh about today.
“It just becomes like any other relationship,” Biancardi explained. “You get to know somebody and spend time with them in a natural, genuine way.”
At Boston College, Penn was named the 1995-96 Big East Rookie of the Year. In 1998, he followed Biancardi to Ohio State University, where he would lead the Buckeyes to their first Final Four since 1968. Behind it all, Biancardi was there, witnessing Penn’s growth and love for basketball.
Years later, at Crockett High School’s open gym in 2003, Biancardi spotted a fierce competitor, who still lacked a scholarship. What struck Biancardi, then the head coach for Wright University,
was how 5-foot-11 senior DaShaun Wood displayed a big heart for the game and wouldn’t let his team lose, just like Penn.
“I just had a good connection with him.” Wood said. “A lot of people were telling me to look at other schools, but I knew, from when I met him ... that was where I wanted to be.”
So, Wood became Biancard’s first recruit at Wright State and their relationship continued to develop for the next three years. Biancardi taught Wood a new game that was more structured and detailed than high school ball. On a personal level, Biancardi guided Wood to continue working hard. Although Biancardi left Wright State University before Wood’s senior year, Wood still completed their dream and led the Raiders to the 2007 NCAA tournament.
“If it wasn’t for Coach, there’s no way I would be where I am today,” Wood, the shooting guard for Alba Berlin, said. “Just him trusting and believing in me changed my life.”
While Penn and Wood’s games continued professionally overseas and Biancard’s career led him to ESPN, the player-coach relationship never died. In fact, now Penn and Wood get to witness Biancardi’s influence on other players.
“[Watching him] broadcasting and on social media...is funny because it reminds me of being in that locker room again,” Wood said. “Everything he told me came true and everything he's telling these young guys now is going to work out...if they decide to listen to him.”
A special thanks to misters Paul Biancardi, James ‘Scoonie’ Penn and DaShaun Wood for sharing their stories with me. Also to Professor Kevin Robbins, whose sports reporting class challenged my writing and pushed me to accomplish stories that otherwise would not exist.