The Belgian Secret – Omar Thielemans Commits to Arizona

The Arizona Wildcats received a commitment from a little known Euro player. Sean Miller’s secret is a definite steal for the program.

Just a couple days ago we heard Arizona offered a player from Belgium, and he would be in Tucson this weekend. Everything came out like a 1-2 punch, but for Sean Miller and staff, this was a tightly kept secret. Arizona had to move fast before other programs caught wind of what Miller was hiding up his sleeve: 6-foot-7 4-star talent wing Omar Thielemans.

With reports of other programs offering Omar and wanting him to visit, 247Sports gave Arizona fans great news Sunday morning.

Arizona fans should be thrilled about this steal. And that’s exactly what this was – a steal. Don’t believe me? Here is why Omar committing to Arizona is a big win for the program and Sean Miller.

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The obvious reason is because we only had one commitment in the 2018 class. Devonaire Doutrive committed last weekend and Omar made it official yesterday.

Within one week, Arizona went from zero to two commits. That is how quickly things can change. All recruits need to see, especially with Arizona right now, are players committing. It brings reassurance to recruits and families to see people trusting the program.

Another reason Omar is a huge get for Miller is because of his length and athleticism. Before Omar, Arizona only had three players taller than 6-foot-7. Emmanuel Akot, Ira Lee and Chase Jeter. Adding one more player 6-foot-7 or taller helps Miller have size, something Arizona has always had.

Aside from the obvious reasons, Omar will be able to play more than one position. His size immediately says a wing/SF role, but after watching his highlight video, you can’t limit him to one position.

He has quick hands and a good eye with the ball in his hands. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Miller allow Omar to bring the ball up the floor. His passing ability is at a level you want to see in an incoming freshman.

Perhaps it’s because of his experience with pro-Euro leagues, but there are signs he can be a point/forward for this team.

Omar has a good feel for the floor on both ends. On offense, he can find the open man quickly, make the necessary first move and find open space. He can make the extra pass on point, but can also attack the center of the floor to create space for his teammates on the outside.

His defense all starts with his 6-foot-7 length and quickness. The highlight videos show his speed and capability to chase down blocks. One thing to take notice of is his ability to move his feet and use his long arms to force his opponent to alter their shot.

With all that being said, Omar does have room to grow on offense and defense. He’s still 18 years old and college basketball is much different than European leagues. The pace of the game is faster and he will need to play under control more.

https://twitter.com/OmarThielemans/status/971327562122256384

If Omar played high school basketball in the states, he’d easily be a 4-star prospect. A bonus of him being unknown and “secret” is he could potentially be here three to four years, something Arizona needs more of moving forward.

Sean Miller definitely found himself a diamond in the rough. Arizona’s best-kept secret shows a lot of potential at making this program better for a couple of years.

Next: Former Wildcats Complete Rookie Seasons

The dominoes are falling and Arizona is picking up steam at a critical time. Omar Thielemans may have come out of nowhere, but with time he’ll no longer be a surprise. Miller has more pieces to get to fill in the puzzle, but he’s on the right path with Devonaire and now Omar.