Omar Silverio ‘Blessed’ to Reunite with Childhood Friend Jose Perez at WVU

West Virginia received a commitment from Manhattan transfer guard Omar Silverio on Thursday afternoon. For Silverio, this is a dream come true, he told WV Sports Now.

“West Virginia, top school in the country. Man, it’s a dream come true to me, to be honest,” he said.

It’s not just a commitment for the Dominican Republic native. Silverio is reuniting with his childhood friend Jose Perez. Silverio and Perez were ready to play together at Manhattan this season before the college fired head coach Steve Masiello. Just days before the season starting, Silverio entered the portal, just like Perez.

“I don’t know how God does his things but he’s doing his work. We didn’t have a chance to play together at Manhattan. Everyone went their own route. Jose went to West Virginia, I was deciding between going pro or back to school,” Silverio said. “Now we have a chance to play together. It’s a blessing, I always wanted to play with him.”

Silverio will need a waiver from the NCAA to play next season, per Adam Zagoria. But will plan on joining the team in the upcoming months.

So how did this all begin?

Look no further than Perez and WVU’s director of recruiting Jay Kuntz to get the ball rolling on bringing Silverio to Morgantown.

“It was a week ago. Jose Perez said he was talking to Jay [Kuntz] and coach [Huggins] about possibly letting me come in. It was just right away,” Silverio said. “Jay called me and we got in contact, we built that relationship in no time. He was just telling me that I would be a great fit, to give me a chance to be a really good player and make a lot of money when I come out.”

Silverio spoke about playing for Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins.

“I have no words. This morning I was thinking, ‘am I really going to play for him?’ Whatever he tells me I have to do. I’m definitely listening to him,” he said.

Silverio (6-foot-3) last played at Hofstra during the 2021-22 season, averaging 10.9 points and 3.3 rebounds. The native of the Dominican Republic shot 37 percent from the field and 36 percent from three.

“I’m going to bring energy, defense, a lot of shooting,” Silverio said of his game.

West Virginia got their hands dirty in the transfer portal early this go around. The Mountaineers won’t even begin postseason play until next week but after that, the coaching staff will look to build around who returns as well as Silverio.