OHIO STATE BASKETBALL Biancardi denies allegations made by Salyers in civil lawsuit

The lawsuit led to the dismissal of Buckeyes basketball coach Jim O'Brien.
DAYTON (AP) -- Wright State basketball coach Paul Biancardi strongly denied Sunday allegations in a civil lawsuit that led to the firing of Ohio State basketball coach Jim O'Brien.
Biancardi, a former Ohio State assistant, is mentioned in the lawsuit as knowing about financial assistance a woman was providing to an Ohio State player living at her home.
"These allegations are not true and are not supported by fact," Biancardi said in a 30-second statement he read in a conference room at the Ervin J. Nutter Center, where Wright State plays its home games. "Because of the ongoing investigation, I cannot discuss the specific allegations that are made against me or the Ohio State men's basketball program.
"I look forward and I'm excited and anxious to answer all the questions and all the allegations that are made about me."
Biancardi was accompanied by his attorney, C. James Zeszutek of Pittsburgh, who also is representing O'Brien.
He did not take any questions.
Prior to Sunday's statement, Biancardi's only comment had come through a written statement issued by the university. He said he had been on a planned vacation and unavailable.
Surfaced in deposition
Biancardi's name surfaced in a deposition taken in a lawsuit Kathleen Salyers filed last August seeking $510,000 in expenses and damages from two Ohio State boosters.
"I'm disappointed and frustrated about a situation that has evolved from a lawsuit, which you all know I am not a party of and had no involvement whatsoever," Biancardi said.
Salyers testified that she housed and fed player Boban Savovic for two years, spending thousands of dollars on phone bills, car insurance and spending money for the player who was on the 1998-99 team that O'Brien led to the Final Four.
In the deposition, Salyers said Biancardi regularly contacted her about Savovic and often told her he was calling at O'Brien's instruction.
Salyers also said O'Brien was aware she had two of Savovic's grades changed at Biancardi's request. "Once I told Paul the grade had been changed, he told me his boss would be happy."
Ohio State fired O'Brien on June 8 after he admitted he gave $6,000 in 1999 to Aleksandar Radojevic, a recruit who never attended Ohio State because he was ruled ineligible after the NCAA found out he had been paid to play in Europe.