For those of you who cannot wait until Midnight Madness tips off this fall, you can see the stars of tomorrow in a couple of weeks at the FIBA U19 World Cup. Featuring the best basketball players in the world ages 19 or younger, the USA will try to defend its gold medal from 2021 when it was led by several players who are already in the NBA including Patrick Baldwin Jr./Chet Holmgren/Jaden Ivey. 1 of the players who made the final cut for this year’s 12-man USA roster is Omaha Biliew, who was named a McDonald’s All-American earlier this year and played in the Nike Hoop Summit during each of the past 2 years. Team USA will head to Hungary next week to try to win another gold medal, but before they do HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Omaha about choosing Iowa State for college and hosting a basketball camp earlier this month.
You grew up in Iowa/Nebraska as the son of a South Sudanese refugee: how bad is the refugee crisis back in Africa? Right now it is hard to get information due to the lack of a news source. I would say it is average, as some tribes are okay with each other. It is also great out there in some parts where people live in harmony.
As a sophomore you won an Iowa State Championship with teammates Pryce Sandfort/Payton Sandfort/Tucker DeVries: what did it mean to you to win a title, and how excited are you to face the Sandfort brothers when the Hawkeyes head to Ames this fall? Super-excited! We are really fond of each other and know each other very well. Last year was an interlude for what is coming next on a bigger stage. Basketball is basketball but it will still be super-dope.
You received offers from several great schools including Kansas/Oregon but signed with Iowa State last July: what was the biggest factor in your decision, and how close did you come to joining the G League? The biggest factor was my relationship with the coaches and my comfort with the environment. I know my game and my high school coaches put me in a position to get better while using my full skill set everywhere on the court. I came really close to joining the G League: it was 50-50 and I spent 2 months trying to figure out my next step.
You are the highest-rated recruit in Iowa State basketball history and part of a great recruiting class including Milan Momcilovic/Jelani Hamilton/Kayden Fish: how well do you know any of the other guys? I know them a lot: I have known Kayden since 7th grade so we have a lot of chemistry. Jack (Wofford transfer Jackson Paveletzke) was here in U-19 camp earlier this week, but there are a lot of other guys on the roster who I do not know yet like Tre King.
You were recently named a finalist for the Team USA U-19 team: what does it mean to you to represent your country, and what would it mean to you to win a gold medal? A lot. This is what every kid should strive for: to play for your country. The name on the back of my jersey represents my family so it is about more than just me.
In the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game you scored 7 PTS for the West in a 3-PT loss to the East: how excited are you to be reunited with Jeremy Fears in training camp and Cody Williams on the final squad? I am really excited because they are both great players. We come to practice every day and I am still learning from them. I also watch how they work/maneuver around the court: this is basketball heaven and I love it a lot.
You have played in the Nike Hoop Summit for each of the past 2 years: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Mackenzie Mgbako/Cam Whitmore/Dariq Whitehead/other)? I have known Mackenzie for a while so I know what he brings to the game. 1 person who surprised me was Aden Holloway. He does not get much attention from the guard spot since he is only 6’ tall but he makes up for all of that on the court.
You are 6’8”: what position do you play now, and what position will you feel most comfortable at in college? It is hard to distinguish a particular position. I had to play the 5 as a sophomore because we had so many great players on the perimeter. I will do whatever it takes to win and am a very versatile player so I have played every position at times during the past few years. I feel most comfortable on the perimeter at the 3 or 4 and pushing the ball in transition.
Your cousin Ruot Bijiek plays for Bucknell and his brother Jal played at North Dakota: who is the best athlete in the family? Me: they know that! There are a lot of good athletes with the last name Biliew. Ruot has always been very skilled and we have been going at it since I was 11 years old: he was the 1st person to test me every day.
You have spent time as a youth basketball coach in the past and held a basketball camp earlier this month: how did it go? It was great! A lot of people from Waukee and the surrounding area came out for it: we even had some campers from Omaha. It meant a lot to give back to kids who look up to me and give them a feel for who I am. I was in their shoes as well back in the day: we all started at ground zero and I told them to just keep loving the game and never get discouraged.