Paul Biancardi! ESPN Recruiting Chief on Big East Wars

Описание: We sit down with Paul Biancardi, ESPN’s Director of National Recruiting and 2004 Horizon League Coach of the Year, for a deep dive into the glory days of 1990s Big East basketball and the art of evaluating future stars. We revisit Boston College’s unforgettable 1994 NCAA Tournament upset of Dean Smith’s North Carolina, walk through game planning for Bobby Knight’s motion offense, and relive what it was like to battle Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen and Kerry Kittles night after night.

⏰ Timestamps:

(00:01:17) - Justin introduces Paul Biancardi, his ESPN role and “Monday with Majerus” Utah shirt
(00:02:09) - Young Tom Thibodeau at Salem State, getting cut twice and finally making the team as a walk on
(00:05:56) - Thibodeau’s obsessive organization, binders from clinics and building the smartest team in Division III
(00:08:42) - Grinding through Division III, volunteer assistant at Boston University and learning under Mike Jarvis
(00:11:24) - BU vs UConn in 1990, first NCAA trip, and Jim Calhoun’s early powerhouse Huskies
(00:17:36) - Jumping from BU to Boston College, BU vs BC politics and building toward the 1994 run
(00:21:14) - Inside the 1994 tournament: beating Washington State, then upsetting North Carolina with 14 made threes
(00:23:52) - Facing Dean Smith, Eric Montross, Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace and refusing to be scared of the jersey
(00:46:22) - Lessons from all those head coaches and what Paul tried to carry into his own head coaching style
(00:48:58) - Rick Majerus at Saint Louis: the best teacher Paul ever saw and obsession with detail and discipline
(00:52:13) - How Majerus treated officials, his focus on player tendencies and notoriously demanding scouting reports
(00:53:34) - Legendary team meals, “working lunches,” and back to back feasts on the Hill in St. Louis
(00:56:44) - Thanksgiving scouting story: Majerus calling Paul back to the hotel to re check every matchup vs Pittsburgh
(01:01:38) - Monday with Majerus teaching phrases, practice discipline and why his teams were always so prepared
(01:02:08) - Transition to ESPN: how coaching and recruiting experience prepared Paul for national recruiting director role
(01:06:23) - How coaches treat him now, mutual respect and Hall of Fame coaches asking if he would offer certain kids
(01:15:16) - Best high school game called on TV: Oak Hill’s first national title at Madison Square Garden
(01:16:16) - Favorite Celtics team, Johnny Most memories and growing up on the 1986 Celtics
(01:17:24) - Dick Vitale at City of Palms, coming on the broadcast and still tracking recruiting like a junkie
(01:19:00) - Favorite player growing up, favorite Boston restaurant and linguine and clams at Saraceno’s
(01:20:00) - Toughest players to game plan for: Ray Allen on the perimeter and Alonzo Mourning in the post
(01:21:08) - Closing reflections on Big East glory days, life in media and friendship with Justin in Charlotte

💡Key Topics:

📌 Boston College’s 1994 NCAA Tournament run and upset of North Carolina with 14 three pointers
📌 Coaching and scouting in the 1990s Big East against Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen and Kerry Kittles
📌 Lessons from coaching legends Tom Thibodeau, Mike Jarvis, Jim O’Brien, Jim Calhoun, John Thompson, Rolly Massimino, PJ Carlesimo and Jim Boeheim
📌 Inside Rick Majerus’s teaching, preparation, film work and legendary team meals at Saint Louis
📌 How Paul Biancardi became ESPN’s Director of National Recruiting and evaluates future college and NBA stars
📌 The evolution of high school basketball, push for a universal shot clock and why basketball IQ matters more than ever

🏀 About Paul Biancardi:

Paul Biancardi is ESPN’s Director of National Recruiting and one of the most respected voices in high school basketball evaluation. A former Division I head coach and 2004 Horizon League Coach of the Year at Wright State, he previously served as an assistant at Boston University, Boston College and Ohio State, helping engineer deep NCAA Tournament runs and legendary Big East battles.

🎙️ About the JustIn Time Podcast:

The JustIn Time Podcast brings you exclusive, in depth conversations with the biggest names in sports and beyond. As veteran broadcasters, Justin brings unfiltered discussions with legendary coaches, professional athletes, and influential figures who share their remarkable journeys and behind the scenes stories you will not hear anywhere else.

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