Syracuse Basketball: 4-star big man high on ‘Cuse as Mike Hopkins recruits him hard

On Jim Boeheim Day, the Syracuse basketball coaching staff had three four-star recruiting targets on the SU campus for unofficial visits, including 2025 four-star big man Matthew Gilhool from the Philadelphia area.

The 6-foot-11 power forward/center was in attendance at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, Feb. 24, as SU Athletics honored the Hall of Fame career of former long-time ‘Cuse head coach Jim Boeheim, and Syracuse basketball squeaked out a win over fellow Atlantic Coast Conference squad Notre Dame.

Gilhool, a fast-rising prospect in the junior cycle, said in an interview with SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister that he remains high on the Orange, although several other suitors continue to recruit Gilhool hard as well.

“I’m definitely a fan, definitely on the high side for sure,” Gilhool said to McAllister. “Definitely going to keep looking into Syracuse.”

That’s encouraging to hear. While the ‘Cuse coaching staff has offered scholarships to nearly 20 prospects in the 2025 cycle, to the best of my knowledge, the Orange is currently prioritizing seven to nine players in this class, including Gilhool.

Syracuse basketball is a strong contender for 2025 four-star big Matthew Gilhool.

When the ‘Cuse beat the Fighting Irish and Boeheim’s storied career was celebrated, Gilhool, 2025 four-star forward Sadiq White Jr. from Charlotte, N.C., and 2026 four-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. from Brooklyn, N.Y., were on unofficial visits to Central New York.

Gilhool took an official visit to Syracuse basketball in late September of last year. A month earlier, in late August of 2023, he went on an unofficial visit to the ‘Cuse to compete in the Orange’s annual Elite Camp.

It was around the time of the Elite Camp that Gilhool picked up a scholarship offer from Syracuse basketball. Some of his newer offers have arrived from Iowa, Mike Hopkins-led Washington and Indiana State, per Gilhool’s X page and recruiting services.

His full offer sheet also includes teams such as Maryland, Bryant, Miami, Mississippi State, Penn State, Rutgers, Temple, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Fairfield, Iona, St. John’s, West Virginia, Marshall and Pittsburgh.

When I wrote this article, both the industry-generated 247Sports Composite and the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking placed Gilhool in the top 100 nationally within the junior cycle. Other recruiting services have him in the top 75 overall.

While this is certainly subject to change, for the moment, Syracuse basketball is in the lead for Gilhool, according to On3’s recruiting prediction machine.

He had a standout 2023-24 season for the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. Gilhool was named the MVP of the Inter-AC League.

Penn Charter’s most recent campaign came to an end when it fell in the quarterfinals of the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (“PAISAA”) tournament to the Westtown School from West Chester, Pa.

Gilhool has said more than once that Syracuse basketball, at this juncture, is one of the top options in his recruiting process. Associate head coach Gerry McNamara is the Orange’s lead recruiter for Gilhool, and the Orange staff has been in attendance for him at games and open gyms in recent months, according to media reports and comments from recruiting experts.

McAllister writes that Gilhool is eyeing trimming his list at the end of the spring, and other squads recruiting him hard include Washington and Hopkins, along with Penn State and Iowa.