Former 5-star PF Biliew becomes ISU's fourth portal departure
The Cyclone career of the program's highest-rated prospect in the rankings era will end up being one to forget after true freshman forward Omaha Biliew announced on Sunday he was entering the transfer portal.
The 6-foot-8, 215-pound Biliew, a five-star recruit considered the #11 overall prospect in the country and top-ranked power forward, leaves Iowa State after playing in 20 games off the bench in the 2023-24 campaign. He averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds but in just under eight minutes of playing time per game.
An afterthought for much of the Big 12 regular season, Biliew resurfaced in the team's quarterfinal conference tournament round game against Kansas State in which he scored two points, grabbed one rebound, and dished out an assist in 10 minutes. But he would play in just 11 minutes combined over the final five games of the season.
Biliew came to Ames with much fanfare as just the third Cyclone to ever play in the McDonald's All-American Game and later became a member of Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Cup and the Nike Hoops Summit. However, he arrived midway through summer workouts following his Team USA experience and never seemed to get up to speed.
The Waukee (Iowa) native is the fourth Iowa State player to announce he was entering the transfer portal, joining fellow reserve Jackson Paveletzke and redshirting freshmen Jelani Hamilton and Kayden Fish.
ISU head coach TJ Otzelberger and his staff, who have landed a transfer portal commitment from Charlotte big man Dishon Jackson, now has four scholarships open for the 2024-25 campaign.
