KU Jayhawks men’s basketball recruiting: Two top recruits in Class of 2023 make visits
Omaha Biliew, a 6-foot-8, 205-pound junior forward formerly of Waukee (Iowa) High School, now headed to Montverde (Florida) Academy for the 2021-22 season, completed an unofficial men’s basketball recruiting visit to Kansas on Sunday.
“ROCK CHALK, what y’all think?!?! Great visit at @KUHoops,” Biliew, Rivals.com’s No. 6-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2023, wrote Sunday on Twitter.
His trainer, Tyler Sass, told Jayhawkslant.com after the visit that Biliew would return for a second visit on Oct. 1 for Late Night in the Phog.
“Coaches can start calling him personally on Tuesday (according to NCAA rules) and coach (Bill) Self said he would be making the calls personally. We will be back for Midnight Madness. Rock Chalk did not disappoint,” Sass said.
Of KU, Biliew told Zagsblog.com: “Man, it was unbelievable. It’s Kansas. Everything about it … Bill Self, great dude. That’s one of the blueblood schools that I’m glad I got (to visit) first. Great coaches, great facilities.”
Bilieu will visit Iowa State on Wednesday. He’s also considering Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Western Kentucky, Nebraska and others.
Bryson Warren enjoys KU visit
Bryson Warren, a 6-2, 155-pound junior point guard from Little Rock (Arkansas) Central High School, who is ranked No. 32 in the Class of 2023 by 247sports.com, currently unranked by Rivals.com, said he enjoyed his unofficial recruiting trip to KU on Sunday.
“I had a great unofficial visit at Kansas today! A big thanks to all the coaches that took time out there day to show me a lot of love!” Warren wrote Sunday on Twitter.
His dad, Shedrick Warren wrote on Twitter: “Bryson Warren 2023 had a great visit at Kansas. Thanks for the love!”
Warren’s dad also told The Star: “He had a great visit. We are looking into setting up another visit.”
Warren is being recruited by KU, Missouri, Kansas State, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Gonzaga, Illinois TCU, Maryland, Georgetown, Auburn, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and others.
Warren averaged 24.1 points, 3.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals a game his sophomore season at (23-5) Little Rock Central.
Gradey Dick, a 6-7 senior forward from Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, who orally committed to KU on March 3, visited KU over the weekend. He is ranked No. 37 in the Class of 2022 by Rivas.com. Also scheduled to visit was Chris Livingston, a 6-7 senior forward from Buchtel High School in Akron, Ohio, who is considering KU, Kentucky, North Carolina, Memphis, LSU, Ohio State, Georgetown, Tennessee State, Florida and Alabama. Rivals.com’s No. 4-ranked player in the Class of 2022 also said he will consider playing pro ball in the new Overtime Elite League. Livingston will visit Kentucky on June 18-20. Dick and Livingston had not commented on their KU visits on social media as of Sunday night.
KU, Missouri make Ford’s list
Derrian Ford, a 6-3, 190-pound senior combo guard from Magnolia (Arkansas) High School, who is ranked No. 47 in the recruiting Class of 2022 by Rivals.com, on Friday released a list of 11 schools in Twitter.
Ford — he visited Arkansas on June 1-3 — is considering Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Baylor, Texas Tech, Alabama, LSU, Florida, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Mississippi.
He discussed KU and Mizzou on Sunday in an interview with Zagsblog.com. He’s yet to set up visits to either school.
“They are very interested in me and we’ve always stayed in touch. They’re a great program and it seems like they just want to help me build, develop me as a player and build a relationship,” Ford said of KU to Zagsblog.com. “Even though I haven’t gotten to visit Kansas or have a Zoom meeting with them, I’ve been talking to coach Roberts (Norm, assistant) at least two times a week. He always texts me. We just stay in touch a lot.”
Of MU, he told Zagsblog.com: “I talk to coach (Cuonzo) Martin. I talk to coach Harris-Stevens (Marco, assistant). They’re just great people. I had a Zoom meeting with them. They’re very interested, appreciative. It seems like they want the best for their players on and off the court. They’re very straightforward with their players, so I like that about coach Martin and his coaching staff.”
