Syracuse Basketball: New 4-star Philly target big stock riser and top 10 big

New Syracuse basketball 2025 four-star recruit Matthew Gilhool is a highly skilled and versatile big man, according to national analysts and scouts.

The Orange, according to posts on X, offered a scholarship to the 6-foot-11 power forward after Gilhool took an unofficial visit to the Hill and played well at the team’s annual Elite Camp this past Saturday.

He is one of several 2025 prospects who received offers from the ‘Cuse following this camp, with others including four-star point guard Nigel James and three-star point guard Keyshuan Tillery.

In mid-July, word came out that Gilhool would reclassify from the 2024 to the 2025 cycle, while transferring from the Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., to the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia.

He previously suited up for the Westtown School in West Chester, Pa. During the most recent AAU season over the spring and summer, Gilhool received high praise from national analysts and scouts for his performances as a member of the Philadelphia-based Philly Pride in the Under Armour Association league.

Syracuse basketball has gotten into the fray for 2025 four-star big man Matthew Gilhool.

Per recruiting services and his X page, beyond the Orange, Gilhool’s offer sheet includes Maryland, Bryant, Miami, Mississippi State, Penn State, Rutgers, Temple, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Fairfield, Iona, St. John’s, West Virginia, Marshall and Pittsburgh.

Most of the primary recruiting services rank him as a three-star prospect, although I could see that changing to four stars. When I wrote this piece, the industry-generated 247Sports Composite had him at No. 102 nationally, No. 21 at power forward and No. 4 in Pennsylvania within the 2025 class.

On3, meanwhile, rates Gilhool as No. 53 overall, No. 9 at power forward and No. 4 in Pennsylvania within the junior recruiting cycle.

In early May, 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein looked at some of the top big men on the Under Armour Association circuit, and he included Gilhool, who at the time was still in the 2024 class, in this story.

"Finkelstein wrote in part about Gilhool, “The southpaw has very legit size, a soft touch that extends out to the arc, and very versatile ball-skills for a player his size. He’s not a finished product yet and needs to keep filling out his frame and learning to play through contact, but he fits a coveted prototype and has his best days ahead.”"

To date, according to recruiting services and comments from experts, Syracuse basketball coaches have offered scholarships to at least 15 prospects in the 2025 cycle, although most of them are point guards, combo guards and wings/small forwards.

One other 2025 big man who holds an Orange offer is four-star power forward Nikola Bundalo. The 6-foot-9 Bundalo, offered a scholarship by Syracuse basketball in May, will spend the 2023-24 season at the Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, after transferring there from Green High School in Uniontown, Ohio.

Bundalo is a fast-rising player in the 2025 class, having vaulted into the top 25 across the country in recent months, per the 247Sports Composite.