Omaha Biliew is a five-star recruit rated the No. 7 overall player in the 2023 class, and his first unofficial visit when the extended NCAA recruiting dead period was lifted back in June was to Nebraska.
When the 6-foot-8 forward from Branson (Mo.) Link Year was ready to start taking official visits this fall, his first stop was once again to Lincoln.
Why? Well, because Nebraska is “home.”
Born and raised in Omaha (hence the name) until he was five years old, Biliew’s connections to the state still run deep with family and friends. Once head coach Fred Hoiberg and his staff started rebuilding the Husker basketball program over the past years, NU quickly became a no-brainer option in his recruitment.
So, four months after his unofficial visit, Biliew was back on campus this weekend for his first official visit. Between Nebraska’s “Opening Night” event on Friday night and Saturday’s home football game vs. Northwestern, Biliew got the full Husker fan experience during his trip.
“It was a fun, crazy experience just to be around that environment and just to go back home, really,” Biliew said. “It meant more to me, especially to go on my first official visit with my family. It spoke for itself.”
Biliew already knew plenty about NU’s program and had a strong relationship with the coaching staff. So the most significant value of this weekend was getting a first-hand look at the passion his home state had for Husker athletics.
“Just the atmosphere and everybody in Nebraska, just the whole state in itself,” Biliew said of what stood out the most from his visit. “Everybody in that state is rooting for Nebraska, even if their team isn’t doing really good. Everybody is all hands in, and they’re still going to support you to the max. I experienced it when I was at the football game and the basketball event too. Them people is crazy.
“I felt all the love, man. As soon as I got down there (to Lincoln), fans were screaming, ‘GBR’ the whole time. It was fun to experience that.”
Beyond the fervor of the fan base, Biliew said what also stuck with him about his visit was that his connection and trust with Hoiberg, lead recruiter Matt Abdelmassih, and the rest of Nebraska’s staff was just as strong as it was back in June, if not stronger.
In a recruiting world filled with sales pitches and false promises, Biliew said the genuine feeling he got from the Huskers was as valuable as anything else.
“That they mean what they say and that they’re still the same people,” Biliew said of what he learned about NU’s staff during his visit. “I expect the truest out of them because they mean what they say. They hold me to a high standard, and I appreciate them for that.”
Biliew’s primary player hosts were junior guard Trey McGowens, freshman guard Bryce McGowens, and freshman guard C.J. Wilcher, who was also hosting his 2023 five-star younger brother, Simeon Wilcher, on an official visit.
It wasn’t too long ago that Bryce McGowens was in a similar situation as a five-star recruit considering Nebraska among a slew of established blue-blood programs. Did Bryce have any advice for Biliew as he goes through the same process?
“I don’t know if we’ve really had that conversation yet, but I feel like we’ll have that real soon,” Biliew said. “I could definitely tell why he came to Nebraska, because you can’t fail. Everybody is all hands in and just wants you to succeed.
“So there ain’t really nothing to tell me on that. I can sense that. Even the people that are not on the basketball staff, just Nebraska itself, everybody’s all hands in, and they just want you to succeed.”
Biliew got some new memorable experiences and further affirmation of his feelings about Nebraska during his visit.
The weekend didn’t change where the Huskers stood on his list of potential schools. It just solidified their spot as one of the top contenders from here on out.
“I mean, I’m always going to hold them dear, because it’s home, and they’re always going to stay there,” Biliew said. “They showed a lot of love, and it’s appreciated.”
