Education
University of Illinois system.
University of Illinois system.
During his standout career at the University of Illinois, 6"5" Bardo scored 909 points and compiled 495 assists. He was part of the Flyin" Illini team that qualified for the 1989 National Collegiate Athletic Association men"s basketball tournament Final Four. That Fighting Illini team gained the moniker "Flyin" Illini" by Dick Vitale while broadcasting a game during the 1988-1989 season.
Bardo was named Big Ten defensive player of the year in 1989.
Bardo was selected in the 1990 National Basketball Association Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, but never played for the team, playing one game (one minute) with the San Antonio Spurs during the 1991-1992 National Basketball Association season. He also appeared for the Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons, amassing 32 more regular season games, and leaving the National Basketball Association with averages of 2 points, 2 rebounds and one assistant
Bardo also played in France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Venezuela overseas as well as the College of Business Administration (Quad City, Wichita Falls, Chicago). He enjoyed a 10-year professional playing career.
Since retiring in 2000, Bardo has worked in broadcasting.
He has served as a color analyst for the Illini Sports Network, a sports reporter for WBBM-TV-television in Chicago, an analyst and reporter for Columbia Broadcasting System Sports, and a color analyst for college basketball on Entertainment and Sports Programming Network and Big Ten Network. He has also participated on Entertainment and Sports Programming Network First Take. Additionally, he works as a motivational speaker, and authored the book How To Make The League Without Picking Up The Rock.
In May 2015, Bardo, who is African American, publicly criticized the University of Illinois"s athletic department over the lack of diversity among prominent head coaches at the university.
Along with Bardo, the other starting members of that team included Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, Lowell Hamilton, Kenny Battle, and key reserve Marcus Liberty.
