A week between games doesn’t mean anything different for the recovery time of an important player on Wake Forest’s basketball team.

Omaha Biliew hasn’t played since the third game of the season because of the stress-related injury to his right foot, which required surgery.

Coach Steve Forbes said last week on his radio show that Wake’s Jan. 18 game at Virginia Tech is the anticipated return for Biliew, and that remains the case. It falls in the middle, nearing the back end, of the initial 8-10-week timeline that was provided when Biliew underwent surgery in mid-November.

“He’s on a routine … that he’ll stay on,” Forbes said Monday via Zoom. “The plan, as of today, is that he’ll join us midweek, next week for live action and then hopefully, maybe play against Virginia Tech.

“He’s on a routine with Mark Armour, our trainer. He’s doing a great job with him and they’re getting close.”

Wake’s next game is Saturday’s trip to Miami; this is one of two times in the next two months the Deacons don’t have a mid-week game (the other is between Feb. 15-22).

Wake Forest plays host to Stanford next Wednesday, Jan. 15, before the game in Blacksburg. Following that one is a big week for the Deacons — they play host to UNC (Jan. 21) and Duke (Jan. 25).

So, you can see where getting back the 6-8, 225-pounder ahead of those games would be beneficial.

“I think he’s one of our better defenders,” Forbes said. “We’ve been really good defensively and I think it makes us even better, gives us more depth defensively. And I think he showed the ability to stretch the court.”

Indeed, sample size notwithstanding, Biliew is Wake’s 3-point shooting percentage leader; he made 3 of 6 in Wake’s first three games.

The point about depth defensively can’t be overstated.

Biliew can be an option off the bench at the 4- or 5-positions. Efton Reid III has been limited by foul trouble a couple of times lately and commits 4.8 per 40 minutes, according to KenPom. His backup on the bench, Churchill Abass, commits 8.7 fouls per 40.

Which has meant Wake Forest turning more often to Tre’Von Spillers, at 6-7, 215 pounds, to play center.

“He brings a lot of added things to our team that we saw some glimpses of early but haven’t had for a long time,” Forbes said of Biliew. “I know we’re excited to get him back, he’s excited to get back, and I know his teammates are excited to have him come back as well.”