Syracuse basketball should be in contention as 4-star big man set to drop finalists

Matthew Gilhool, a 2025 four-star big man from the Philadelphia area, will trim down his list of contenders still in the running for him early next week, and I'm cautiously optimistic that Syracuse basketball will make the cut.

In a post on his X page, the talented 6-foot-10 power forward/center wrote, "Cutting my list of schools and announcing the finalists on Monday July 8th."

Now, it's unclear to me how many finalists Gilhool will ultimately have, but I like the Orange's chances to remain a contender when he drops his list cut.

Rated as a top-80 national prospect and a top-20 power forward/center according to numerous recruiting services, Gilhool received a scholarship offer from Syracuse basketball in late August of last year, around the time that he unofficially visited the 'Cuse for the team's annual Elite Camp.

As far as I can tell, Gilhool's only official visit to date has been to the Hill, and that occurred in late September of 2023. He also unofficially visited the Orange in late February of this year, on Jim Boeheim Day.

Syracuse basketball will soon know whether it's still a contender for 2025 4-star big Matthew Gilhool.

Gilhool, a standout rising senior at the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, has picked up more than two dozen offers throughout his recruitment. Some of his latest offers have arrived from teams such as VCU, Saint Louis, Georgia, Georgia Tech and LSU.

Former 'Cuse associate head coach Gerry McNamara, who left this spring to be the head coach at Siena, was the Orange's lead recruiter for Gilhool. Despite GMac no longer on the Syracuse basketball staff, a recent post on X from 247Sports national analyst/scout Brandon Jenkins said that, these days, Gilhool has been hearing the most from the 'Cuse, Alabama, Michigan and Penn State.

Last weekend, amid an NCAA live period as prospects suited up for their high school programs, Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry was on hand for Gilhool at the DMV Live showcase in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, according to top national analyst/scout Jamie Shaw of On3.

Shaw said in a post on X that beyond Autry, coaches from schools such as LSU, Georgia and Alabama, among others, were in attendance for Gilhool at DMV Live.

When I wrote this article on Wednesday, On3's recruiting prediction machine had the Orange in the lead for Gilhool, followed by Penn State at No. 2. The 'Cuse being out in front is likely due in part to Syracuse basketball being the only official visit for him to date.

Penn State, an in-state school for Gilhool, is likely one of the biggest threats to the Orange ultimately prevailing for Gilhool. The Nittany Lions, per Verbal Commits, offered him more than two years ago, and Gilhool has unofficially visited Penn State, according to recruiting services.

If had to venture a guess, I'd assume that both Syracuse basketball and Penn State will be among Gilhool's finalists unveiled this coming Monday. But he has a lot of other impressive suitors, so let's see how this all pans out; Gilhool's recruiting process could have a way to go.

This spring and summer, he has competed for the 17U squad of the Philadelphia-based Team Final in Nike's EYBL league, where one of his teammates has been 2025 four-star combo guard Jerry Easter II, who holds an offer from the 'Cuse.

Per the EYBL's Web site, Team Final will compete in a play-in game on Friday, July 12, to potentially make the main draw of this year's Peach Jam, which will run from July 13 to July 21 in North Augusta, S.C.

Per this recruiting calendar, there are two NCAA live periods while Peach Jam is taking place. Assuming that Syracuse basketball is named as a finalist for Gilhool, I would expect the Syracuse basketball staff to be in the house for him and Team Final at Peach Jam.

Even as the Orange pursues Gilhool, the 'Cuse staff did offer a scholarship to 2025 four-star big man Asher Elson of South Shore High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., in mid-April. Then, in early June, Syracuse basketball offered 2025 five-star big man Chris Cenac Jr., who will spend his senior season at the powerhouse Link Academy in Branson, Mo.