Omaha Biliew has a unique opportunity.
Last week, the former five-star recruit and Iowa State freshman was named to the Team USA U19 squad for the 2023 U19 FIBA World Cup starting later this week in Hungary.
For Biliew, it is an opportunity to play collegiate-level games with collegiate-level coaching before he’s ever even stepped foot on campus as a student at Iowa State.
“You’re playing for really good coaches, veteran coaches guys that you can learn a lot from,” Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger said when asked about Biliew’s opportunity on Tuesday. “Coach [Tad] Boyle, Coach [Leon] Rice and Coach [Mike] Boynton are great coaches. For him to have that experience, it’s almost like he’s preparing to play college games or the level above college games with [college] coaches.”
It was no surprise to see Biliew make the team when you consider the accolades he carries with him. Rated as the No. 13 player in the 2023 class by 247Sports, Biliew has already made a significant name for himself within basketball circles.
That name continued to gain notoriety during the U19 team training camp out in Colorado, though, where Biliew stood out even among some of the best players in the country, according to people who were there.
Now, he’ll have an opportunity to learn from those experiences, carry them forward to help the United States win a gold medal then come to Iowa State with collegiate experience already under his belt.
“Now, you’re taking in a lot of information,” Otzelberger said. “You’re going into a different country. You’re playing with FIBA rules. You’re finding out how I play to my greatness, my strengths among this group of guys. Just a very valuable learning opportunity and he should feel great about being selected and being part of it. I’m sure that he’ll go there and be impactful to winning games for those guys because he’s a winning player.”
