By SAM LANCE
KANSAS CITY — It’s been a long time since Iowa State forward and former five-star recruit Omaha Biliew has checked into a basketball game. Nearly two months, in fact. But on Thursday night — when T.J. Otzelberger called his number during Iowa State’s 76-57 win over Kansas State to advance to the Big 12 Tournament semifinals — the freshman didn’t disappoint.
“I’ve talked to him a lot about how you have to get ready and stay ready,” Otzelberger said on the podium postgame. “I’m happy for him, proud of him that opportunity came his way. And he really stepped up and gave us some great minutes today. We’ll continue to count on him as we move forward and we have all the confidence in the world in him.”
With 6-foot-7 sophomore guard Demarion Watson sidelined due to a concussion, Iowa State needed somebody to step up and play key bench minutes. Biliew was up for the task and ended up being Iowa State’s first substitution, entering the game with 17:18 to play in the first half for his first action since Jan. 24 vs. Kansas State.
In his first stretch of the game, Biliew attempted and missed a mid-range shot before making a layup to put the Cyclones up 8-7. Biliew was also very active defensively. When he returned to the huddle entering the under-16 media timeout, multiple teammates rushed him before he could make it to the bench, patting his chest aggressively.
For the game, Biliew finished with two points, one rebound and one assist while shooting 1-of-4 from the field. Not glamorous, but the freshman consistently played with energy and effort.
“I just put all the credit to the work the coaches have put into me the past few months and everything,” Biliew said to Iowa State reporter Chris Williams. “I’m going to bring it tomorrow too, it’s going to carry me over.”
Coming into Thursday’s contest, Biliew had appeared in just 16 of the Cyclone’s 31 games. In those 16 games, he averaged 2.8 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 58.3% from the field in 7.9 minutes per game. His best game of the year came vs. Grambling, where he scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
Out of high school, Biliew was a five-star recruit and the No. 13 overall player in the nation per 247Sports. He played for Mokan Elite and Waukee High School in Iowa. He’s the only five-star out of the 2023 class to play in less than 25 games for their respective school besides Michigan State’s Xavier Booker and Kentucky’s Aaron Bradshaw, who was out with an injury to start the year.
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