Tag: Matt Gilhool

LSU lands commitment from 4-star power forward, first in 2025 class

The Tigers finally secured their first 2025 commitment in top-75 power forward Matt Gilhool.

It took a bit longer than coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] probably hoped, but the LSU men’s basketball team has its first commitment in the 2025 recruiting class.

On Tuesday night, four-star, top-75 power forward [autotag]Matt Gilhool[/autotag] committed to the Tigers over Alabama, Iowa, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech. Gilhool is a top-15 power forward and the No. 71 player in the country, according to On3’s industry rankings. On3’s own rankings are even higher, ranking him at No. 62.

Gilhool said that the coaching staff made him feel like a priority and that he thinks the program is on its way back after exceeding expectations with a strong finish in Year 2 under Matt McMahon.

“I just like what coach McMahon has going on,” Gilhool said, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. “I think there’s a lot of good stuff for the future with LSU. Just the amount of love they were showing me. They were always hitting me up, always calling me, and they’ve been recruiting me the hardest. I thought that was really important.

“LSU basketball is coming back and it’s definitely exciting.”

https://twitter.com/TiptonEdits/status/1833635743559831630

With Gilhool on board, LSU’s class now ranks No. 16 in the nation in the 2025 cycle. McMahon signed the No. 13 class in 2024.

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2025 4-star power forward, LSU target set to commit on Tuesday

One of the top players in the 2025 recruiting class is set to announce his commitment on Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. CT. 

One of the top players in the 2025 recruiting class is set to announce his commitment Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. CT.

[autotag]Matt Gilhool[/autotag] is a 6-foot-10, 205-pound, four-star power forward from Philadelphia where he plays for William Penn Charter. Gilhool narrowed down his list of finalists to six schools recently, LSU, Alabama, Iowa, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech.

LSU has received two crystal ball projections to land him per 247Sports and the Tigers are a 91% favorite to land him per On3. The Tigers 2025 class does not have any commitments at this time but if everything goes as planned, the Tigers will have their first commitment tomorrow night.

[autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] is hard at work trying to bring some of the best talent in the country to Baton Rouge. Gilhool would be a huge pickup for the Tigers. LSU’s 2024 season starts when the Tigers take on UL Monroe on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The Tigers improved from Year 1 to Year 2 under McMahon. Let’s see if they can improve again in Year 3.

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Top 100 power forward sets September official visit with LSU

LSU will play host to Matt Gilhool in September as it looks to land its first 2025 commitment.

LSU’s quest for its first commitment in the 2025 men’s basketball recruiting class continues, but it remains in contention for several of its top targets and will soon play host to one of them for an official visit.

The Tigers made the list of finalists for four-star power forward [autotag]Matt Gilhool[/autotag], who ranks as the No. 77 player nationally. Gilhool has now set a trio of official visits starting with Georgia Tech (Aug. 31), followed by LSU (Sept. 7) and Iowa (Sept. 14), according to On3.

Gilhool already took an official visit to Syracuse last October. On3 currently considers the Orange the favorite, though they aren’t among his top seven.

LSU seems to have some ground to make up with the Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, prospect, but it will have the chance to do so when it plays host to him in the fall.

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Alabama lands in top 7 for elite, 2025 4-star PF Matthew Gilhool

On Monday, 2025 four-star power forward Matthew Gilhool released his top seven schools. Alabama made the cut as a finalist.

The Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball program is coming off of its best season in program history. That success has trickled down and assisted Alabama in potentially landing some of the top high school prospects in the country. On Monday, 2025 four-star power forward Matthew Gilhool listed Alabama as a finalist to land his commitment.

Gilhool plays for William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is listed at 6-foot-10 and 205 pounds. When speaking with On3’s Jamie Shaw, Gilhool had the following to say about his style of play:

““I try to play a versatile forward role,” Gilhool told On3. “I rebound, block shots, and can make shots. I’ve been playing with a lot of confidence this summer. I’m playing with coaches who believe in me, and that goes a long way.”

Thus far, Gilhool has scheduled official visits to Georgia Tech and LSU. At this time, he does not have an official visit scheduled to Alabama. It will be interesting to see if the Alabama coaching staff can get Gilhool on campus before he announces his commitment.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama basketball program and its efforts on the recruiting trail.

Penn State basketball recruit in attendance for win against Michigan

Penn State basketball had a key recruit in the stands in Philly to watch the big win over Michigan.

Penn State basketball got a much needed victory in Philadelphia this past Sunday against Michigan.

This was their second trip to The Palestra in as many seasons, but this time, they came away with a 79-72 win in front of a sold-out crowd.

It didn’t seem like that was in the cards early on as they entered halftime with a 10 point deficit. But, they exploded in the second half, scoring 52 points, to leave The Cathedral of College Basketball with a victory, pushing their season record to 8-7 and 2-2 in conference play.

[autotag]Ace Baldwin[/autotag] had his best game since joining Penn State, finishing with his Big Ten career high 25 points and adding four assists and three steals.

While this is certainly a moral booster for the players currently in the program, it also could give the Nittany Lions momentum for one of their top class of 2025 recruits, [autotag]Matt Gilhool[/autotag], who was in attendance.

The 6’10” forward is listed as the 94th player in the country and No. 4 in Pennsylvania according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

He spoke with Dushawn London of 247Sports about his recruitment and where he stands with Penn State (subscription required).

Gilhool said he’s a fan of how the Nittany Lions play and how they envision his role as a versatile big man with the team. He’s been in contact with the coaching staff but was looking forward to seeing them in person again when he attended their game at The Palestra in an unofficial fashion.

As of now, the only place he’s taken an official visit to is Syracuse, but he’s not narrowing his focus onto any one school or group of schools in particular at this moment.

He told London his recruitment is very open right now and is listening to every school who is interested in him before ultimately cutting his list down in the spring or early summer.

That timeline is a rough estimate, but he said he’d like to give a commitment in the fall during his senior year.

Gilhool would be a great addition for Penn State, adding size and versatility, while landing a Top-100 player in the country and one of the best in the state.

This recruitment process will be one to continue monitoring.

Penn State basketball expected to land first recruit of the 2024 class

Penn State basketball’s first potential commitment in 2024 could bring some much-needed size to the roster.

The recruiting grind never stops for Division 1 basketball programs.

With the abundance of the transfer portal playing a major factor in college basketball, the recruiting calendar has become more packed than ever.

[autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] has used the portal to his advantage in recent years, getting established players to play for Penn State. He also has crushed the recruiting horizon getting some of the most talented freshmen the program has ever had.

With the class of 2023 completed, it’s officially time to turn the attention to the players graduating high school in 2024.

There have been no commitments to Penn State as of now. However, it’s looking very likely that the Nittany Lions will land a key in-state recruit in the 2024 class.

[autotag]Matt Gilhool[/autotag] is a 6’10” center from Elizabethtown, PA. On3 has him ranked as the 10th best player in the state and 20th best center in the country.

Gilhool is left-handed and primarily does his offensive damage in the paint. Although left-handed, he can also finish with both hands around the rim and has great touch. He also has the ability to face up and take his defender off the bounce if needed.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Penn State a 100% chance of signing the three-star center from Pennsylvania. They are currently the only school that has offered a scholarship to Gilhool.

Temple, Missouri, Rutgers, Virginia, La Salle, and UTEP have also been involved in his recruiting process.

Gilhool has taken two unofficial visits to Penn State and is clearly seen as a likely candidate to stay in-state with the Nittany Lions.

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Rutgers men’s basketball offers athletic big man Matt Gilhool

Rutgers basketball sends out an offer to Matthew Gilhool on Thursday.

Matt Gilhool was one of several offers that went out from Rutgers men’s basketball on Wednesday night. The Pennsylvania center also received an offer on Wednesday from Bryant as well.

A 6-foot-10 center, Gilhool plays his high school basketball for Elizabethtown Area (Elizabethtown, PA), a program that went 18-12 last season. He is currently a part of the class of 2024.

In early June, he was offered by fellow Big Ten program Penn State while on an unofficial visit.

Gilhool would appear to be the heir apparent to Cliff Omoruyi, the junior center who is likely heading to the NBA after his upcoming junior season.

He tweeted (or rather, re-tweeted) about the Rutgers offer on Wednesday night:

 

Rutgers basketball sent out several offers on Wednesday including Moses Hipps. Another Pennsylvania standout, Hipps was offered by the Scarlet Knights this week and currently has offers from Fordham, La Salle, Temple and VCU.

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Hipps, who plays for Archbishop John Carroll (Philadelphia, PA) averaged 18.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

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