AMES, Iowa — Omaha Biliew announced his commitment to Iowa State University Tuesday night, becoming the Cyclones' highest-ranked commitment in the modern recruiting era.
"It's home, nothing beats it," Biliew told ESPN. "Playing for the state that raised me for the majority of my lifetime is priceless to me. I feel like it was destined for me to be at ISU and cement my legacy here."
As the No. 9 overall prospect in the ESPN 100 for 2023, Biliew chose Iowa State over schools such as Kansas and Oregon, as well as the G-League Ignite.
Biliew made several visits to Iowa State over the last year, where he connected with head coach T.J. Otzelberger.
"What makes coach T.J. so special is that he is a real genuine person," Biliew told ESPN. "Throughout the whole recruiting process, we built a strong bond and found out we had a lot of similarities, especially when it comes to our work ethic."
Previously, the 6-foot-8 forward played for Dowling Catholic High School and Waukee High School, where he was apart of the 2021 state championship team.
This past season, Biliew attended Link Year Prep in Missouri. ESPN reports he averaged 8.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 19 games with the MoKan Elite program this spring and summer.
According to ESPN, "Biliew is the first five-star prospect to commit to Iowa State since the ESPN recruiting database began in 2007."
In addition, Biliew is the third member of the 2023 class to commit to the Cyclones, joining ESPN 100 forward Milan Momcilovic and four-star wing Jelani Hamilton.
"[Cyclones] are one of a kind, die-hard fans," he told ESPN. "One thing about this fan base is they're super devoted to their players and school, that no matter the circumstances the team is going through, they got their back no matter what."