Wake Forest Basketball: Why Omaha Biliew is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

Compared to where this program has been in recent memory, last year was a quality season from Wake Forest. While Steve Forbes hasn’t quite led the Demon Deacons to the Big Dance since taking over four years ago, he’s got the program on the right track. Last season saw them win 21 games and finish 5th in the ACC, albeit lacking the wins and overall resume for that elusive trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Making that dream a reality next season could be a possibility with the returning core in Winston-Salem. While several players transferred and the team lost Kevin Miller and Andrew Carr, there’s plenty to be excited about from what remains. Leading scorer Hunter Sallis is back for his senior season after dropping 18 points a game last season, while other pieces like Cameron Hildreth, Parker Friedrichsen, and Efton Reid return as well.

With a significant list of subtractions, Forbes and his staff busily utilized the Transfer Portal to refill the depth chart. What’s unique about Wake Forest’s offseason is that they didn’t load up with veteran talent, instead grabbing five underclassmen. Four of those new transfers played at the power conference level last season, including former Louisville point guard Ty-Laur Johnson and Alabama guard Davin Cosby.

The player that stands out as the most significant of the bunch is Omaha Biliew, and there’s little question about that. One of the nation’s best prospects last season, Biliew is a 5-star forward from just outside Des Moines who played his freshman year at Iowa State. While it was a fantastic year for the Cyclones, Biliew didn’t factor much into that great season, averaging just 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds across 20 games.

Let’s not act like that underwhelming freshman season was a clear indication of the future. Biliew was a consensus top prospect for a reason. His size, strength, and overall skill make him an imposing and impressive athlete at the back end. He didn’t get much of a chance to showcase his talent on a deep, defensive-minded Cyclones squad, but Wake Forest gives him a legitimate shot at a do-over.

Biliew steps right into a starring role in the frontcourt for the Demon Deacons, and it’s just a matter of how he handles that transition. We’re talking about a guy with monster potential who didn’t get that opportunity much last season. Does Biliew relish this chance and potentially become one of the best forwards in the ACC? With the other young talent coming to Winston-Salem, great things could be in store for Wake Forest not just this season but the year after as well.

We’re not explicitly putting expectations on this Wake Forest team, but this roster can make the NCAA Tournament this season. Even in a bigger ACC, the Demon Deacons have the talent to hang with almost every other team in this conference. They know what they can get from Sallis and Reid and the other returning talent, but how much will Wake Forest get out of Biliew and the other young talent coming to town? Will it be enough to march them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017?