ESPN’s No. 9-ranked basketball prospect, Omaha Biliew, commits to Iowa State over KU
Top-10 rated high school senior small forward Omaha Biliew has decided to play college basketball at Iowa State.
Biliew, a 6-foot-8 native of Waukee, Iowa, and who played for the MOKAN Elite AAU program, on Tuesday in an announcement on ESPN and on his own Twitter account, chose the Cyclones over Kansas, Oregon and the NBA G League.
Biliew, who is originally from Des Moines, Iowa, is ranked No 9 in the recruiting class of 2023 by ESPN.com, No. 16 by 247sports.com and No. 19 by Rivals.com.
“110% committed. I’m home,” Biliew wrote on Twitter.
He recently decided to transfer back to Waukee (Iowa) High School for his senior season after spending his junior year at Link Year Prep in Branson. He attended Waukee High his freshman and sophomore years of high school..
At one point, Biliew also had Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Iowa, Arkansas and Tennessee on his list of schools.
As a sophomore at Waukee, Biliew averaged 10.9 points (64.3% shooting), 7.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks a game in helping Waukee win state.
As a junior at Link Year Prep, he was named a MaxPreps All-America honorable mention selection after averaging 8.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. He helped lead Link to the No. 3 spot in the final national top-20 rankings. He helped the Lions reach the GEICO Nationals title game.
Biliew helped MOKAN Elite of Kansas City win the 2022 Peach Jam title last week in South Carolina. It marked MOKAN’s third Peach Jam title in six seasons.
According to cyclonefanatic.com, Biliew is the first top-30 recruit to commit to Iowa State since Craig Brackins in 2007. Biliew edges out Brackins as the highest-rated player to commit to Iowa State in the online recruiting services era, which goes back to 1999. Brackins was ranked No. 20 in the class of 2007 according to Rivals.com.
Of Iowa State, Biliew told Zagsblog.com: “It’s my hometown school. I love the culture over there and the love that Iowa State has since I was a kid. What T.J. Otzelberger has going on over there is really great.”
Of his decision he said: “Ultimately, what feels better to me at heart? What is the right fit for me and what do I feel in my gut? All of my options are great options. It just comes down to me knowing what’s going to prepare me the most to achieve my goals.”
Jamie Shaw of On3.com wrote of Biliew: “He is a physical presence. Naturally, he has a lengthy and strong frame filled with explosive pop. Biliew can be an active rebounder, both in and out of his area. Defensively, he can guard up and down a lineup. He can move his feet on the perimeter, and his length and strength allow him to switch up against forwards. Offensively is where his upside lies. Biliew does have touch, and he can put the ball on the floor for a dribble or two. He needs to carve out his identity and tighten up the overall skill set on that end. There is a lot of production in the tank, and Biliew has been a known commodity since middle school.”
This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 8:24 PM with the headline "ESPN’s No. 9-ranked basketball prospect, Omaha Biliew, commits to Iowa State over KU."
