A New Opportunity with a Clean Slate
Oct 15, 2026 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
It's Monday early afternoon as we're introduced to Matt Gilhool, his 6-foot-11, 213-pound frame coming through the doors of the Kansas State men's basketball team meeting room, a mop of brownish hair, a quick survey of the sports writers and cameras positioned opposite him, as he slides into a folding chair that strains to hold his long lower body. It's been 182 days since the native of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, who spent his freshman season on the end of the bench at LSU, announced on Instagram that he was coming to the Little Apple.
And now, he's here. A white t-shirt with a purple "K-STATE WILDCATS" written in all caps across the chest and a gray Nike Swoosh off to the right side, a 20-year-old sophomore armed with four years of eligibility to play four years, a former consensus 4-star prospect, three-time Pennsylvania All-State selection, and the top-ranked prospect in Pennsylvania out of high school, who averaged 16 points, nine rebounds and 1.5 blocks his senior season at William Penn Charter School, where he led the Quakers to their first outright Inter-Academic League title in 20 years.
But the bench, yes, sitting on the end of the bench at LSU last season, seems like an appropriate place for the Gilhool story to begin. Why, between a scholarship offer from Penn State in June 2022 and one from VCU on July 1, 2024, Gilhool collected 25 Division I scholarship offers, mostly from the high-major level. He cut his last list to seven schools — LSU, Iowa, Georgia Tech, Utah, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi State — after taking official visits to Syracuse, Georgia Tech and LSU, believing that the men's basketball program that produced Pete Maravich and Shaquille O'Neal would be the proper fit for his own talents. Gilhool mostly played center at high school due to his size and shot-blocking, and the left-hander projected as a power forward at the high-major level due to his ability to stretch the floor with his deft shooting touch and dribbling capabilities.
Former LSU head coach Matt McMahon called Gilhool "a highly-skilled and versatile forward, who's an athletic finisher at the rim and can score with either hand in the post, and who stretches the defense with his ability to shoot the 3-pointer and space the court."
McMahon also said, "Matt plays extremely hard and can really run the floor for his size, and he will be a very impactful player for our rebounding and rim protection as he continues to get stronger."
Yet Gilhool curiously sat on the end of the LSU bench and could only watch the Tigers go 15-17 overall, including a 3-15 mark in SEC play while sitting out as a true freshman in 2025-26.
Why?
Gilhool confided to ABC27 News out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the reason for his absence on the hardwood during LSU games.
"I don't think I've talked about this publicly," Gilhool told the news station. "I had three heart procedures."
He pauses.
"I had some heart complications."
The heart complications began in the spring of 2024 after he had committed to LSU. As a gesture of solidarity and support, several LSU coaches visited Gilhool and his family in the Philadelphia hospital prior to his first heart procedure. There were Patrick and Kristin, his parents, and three brothers — Gavin, Patrick and Daniel. And there was Matt, who grew up enjoying the great outdoors, fishing, and eating breakfast sandwiches and donuts. Now? He was preparing for the battle of his life.
"That was really cool of the LSU coaches to visit," Gilhool says. "My coaches were really supportive. It meant a lot to my family."
Fast-forward to Monday, and Gilhool in his white K-State t-shirt and incredible frame, sits in front of reporters for the first time, and unprompted expounds upon his trying past year.
There's a story to tell, all right, and let Gilhool tell it.
"I don't know the word for (the heart ailment), but it started my senior year of high school, and a little bit into last year, where I had these procedures done. It happened all at once. My heart was racing one day, and it was 200 beats per minute. I was in a meeting. I was just a little frightened. I went to the hospital and they did every test — genetic testing, blood testing, X-rays, CT scans, and it led it to one point.
"Very scary. It was definitely something that — you don't think of that stuff happening, and when it does, it's eye-opening. It was scary for my family and me."
As for the decision to redshirt his true freshman season at LSU?
"It was kind of a last-minute thing," he says. "Coming back, I didn't think I was ready, given the couple heart procedures that slowed me down. I didn't think my development was there. The smartest thing was to redshirt. Midway through the season, I really felt like I put on some weight and size and felt back to myself.
"As for today? Oh yeah, I feel great. I feel more confident and I'm moving a lot better. I'm just pumped up."
There was such a path to get to this point in the Gilhool story. While at LSU, Gilhool did everything except play in a game. He warmed up with the team, he traveled, he had extra workouts on game days, he learned all the plays and concepts, he played on the scout team to get his teammates prepared for the next opponent, because, as Gilhool put it, "What else are you going to do?"
"At LSU, I learned how physical the game was," Gilhool said. "That was the biggest takeaway. It's a whole different game than high school, especially at the high-major level. It's completely different. You have grown men. It's crazy."
At the end of last season, when LSU head coach Matt McMahon was let go, Gilhool decided it was time for him to go, as well.
The first phone call really wasn't a phone call at all — it was a Zoom from new K-State head coach Casey Alexander, who won 303 career games between Stetson, Lipscomb and Belmont, and his coaching staff from the Ice Family Basketball Center. Yes, shortly after Gilhool entered the transfer portal, he received interest from "a bunch" of high-major schools. That included K-State, which had recently hired JJ Butler onto its staff as an assistant coach.
Butler served under Alexander at Belmont after two seasons (2023-25) as an assistant coach at Delaware, and after serving as an assistant coach at Division III Susquehanna University (2018-20) and was both an assistant coach (2017-18) and head coach (2020-23) at Division II Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, where he finished his playing career in 2016-17.
"I've known Coach JJ Butler since my sophomore year of high school," Gilhool says. "He coached at Chestnut Hill College, and my high school coach, who I have a really good relationship with, coached JJ Butler. They were on the same coaching staff, too, I believe. I'd play scrimmages sometimes, so JJ had seen me play for a while. It was a cool opportunity to see him come to K-State."
It didn't take long for Gilhool to reach a decision for the next destination along his basketball path.
"K-State was my first call — and also my first visit," Gilhool says. "I committed to K-State on my visit."
Why?
"It's just the way Coach Alexander plays," he says. "If you've ever seen a Belmont game, I knew I could fit the way he plays offense. It's run and gun, really fast, his bigs are versatile and they can shoot it, and that's what I really wanted. That was the biggest part for me — his playing style. I thought K-State was the best school I could succeed at."
After months of preparation, K-State prepares for its two-game exhibition season against Missouri on October 23 and at Nebraska on October 26. Then the Wildcats open their season against South Dakota State on November 3 at Bramlage Coliseum.
It'll be the first official game of the Alexander era at K-State.
It'll also be the first official time Gilhool will step onto the court in a college uniform as an active player.
"Sitting out last year was something I was never used to," Gilhool says. "Taking that year coming out of high school and then sitting at the end of the bench, I tried to be the best teammate I could be. I'm really looking forward to having this opportunity coming in with a clean slate and showing off what I can really do, and how hard I've worked to get to this spot. I'm super excited about it.
"I just want to prove to myself that I can be here. I've worked all this time. I've put the work in, and I believe in myself to the max. I'm really excited to see what I can do."
He pauses.
"Just having this new opportunity, a fresh start, is something I'm very fortunate to have."
Looking for a K-State player to root for this season?
Gilhool is all heart.
It's Monday early afternoon as we're introduced to Matt Gilhool, his 6-foot-11, 213-pound frame coming through the doors of the Kansas State men's basketball team meeting room, a mop of brownish hair, a quick survey of the sports writers and cameras positioned opposite him, as he slides into a folding chair that strains to hold his long lower body. It's been 182 days since the native of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, who spent his freshman season on the end of the bench at LSU, announced on Instagram that he was coming to the Little Apple.
And now, he's here. A white t-shirt with a purple "K-STATE WILDCATS" written in all caps across the chest and a gray Nike Swoosh off to the right side, a 20-year-old sophomore armed with four years of eligibility to play four years, a former consensus 4-star prospect, three-time Pennsylvania All-State selection, and the top-ranked prospect in Pennsylvania out of high school, who averaged 16 points, nine rebounds and 1.5 blocks his senior season at William Penn Charter School, where he led the Quakers to their first outright Inter-Academic League title in 20 years.
But the bench, yes, sitting on the end of the bench at LSU last season, seems like an appropriate place for the Gilhool story to begin. Why, between a scholarship offer from Penn State in June 2022 and one from VCU on July 1, 2024, Gilhool collected 25 Division I scholarship offers, mostly from the high-major level. He cut his last list to seven schools — LSU, Iowa, Georgia Tech, Utah, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi State — after taking official visits to Syracuse, Georgia Tech and LSU, believing that the men's basketball program that produced Pete Maravich and Shaquille O'Neal would be the proper fit for his own talents. Gilhool mostly played center at high school due to his size and shot-blocking, and the left-hander projected as a power forward at the high-major level due to his ability to stretch the floor with his deft shooting touch and dribbling capabilities.
Former LSU head coach Matt McMahon called Gilhool "a highly-skilled and versatile forward, who's an athletic finisher at the rim and can score with either hand in the post, and who stretches the defense with his ability to shoot the 3-pointer and space the court."
McMahon also said, "Matt plays extremely hard and can really run the floor for his size, and he will be a very impactful player for our rebounding and rim protection as he continues to get stronger."
Yet Gilhool curiously sat on the end of the LSU bench and could only watch the Tigers go 15-17 overall, including a 3-15 mark in SEC play while sitting out as a true freshman in 2025-26.
Why?
Gilhool confided to ABC27 News out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the reason for his absence on the hardwood during LSU games.
"I don't think I've talked about this publicly," Gilhool told the news station. "I had three heart procedures."
He pauses.
"I had some heart complications."
The heart complications began in the spring of 2024 after he had committed to LSU. As a gesture of solidarity and support, several LSU coaches visited Gilhool and his family in the Philadelphia hospital prior to his first heart procedure. There were Patrick and Kristin, his parents, and three brothers — Gavin, Patrick and Daniel. And there was Matt, who grew up enjoying the great outdoors, fishing, and eating breakfast sandwiches and donuts. Now? He was preparing for the battle of his life.
"That was really cool of the LSU coaches to visit," Gilhool says. "My coaches were really supportive. It meant a lot to my family."
Fast-forward to Monday, and Gilhool in his white K-State t-shirt and incredible frame, sits in front of reporters for the first time, and unprompted expounds upon his trying past year.
There's a story to tell, all right, and let Gilhool tell it.
"I don't know the word for (the heart ailment), but it started my senior year of high school, and a little bit into last year, where I had these procedures done. It happened all at once. My heart was racing one day, and it was 200 beats per minute. I was in a meeting. I was just a little frightened. I went to the hospital and they did every test — genetic testing, blood testing, X-rays, CT scans, and it led it to one point.
"Very scary. It was definitely something that — you don't think of that stuff happening, and when it does, it's eye-opening. It was scary for my family and me."
As for the decision to redshirt his true freshman season at LSU?
"It was kind of a last-minute thing," he says. "Coming back, I didn't think I was ready, given the couple heart procedures that slowed me down. I didn't think my development was there. The smartest thing was to redshirt. Midway through the season, I really felt like I put on some weight and size and felt back to myself.
"As for today? Oh yeah, I feel great. I feel more confident and I'm moving a lot better. I'm just pumped up."
There was such a path to get to this point in the Gilhool story. While at LSU, Gilhool did everything except play in a game. He warmed up with the team, he traveled, he had extra workouts on game days, he learned all the plays and concepts, he played on the scout team to get his teammates prepared for the next opponent, because, as Gilhool put it, "What else are you going to do?"
"At LSU, I learned how physical the game was," Gilhool said. "That was the biggest takeaway. It's a whole different game than high school, especially at the high-major level. It's completely different. You have grown men. It's crazy."
At the end of last season, when LSU head coach Matt McMahon was let go, Gilhool decided it was time for him to go, as well.
The first phone call really wasn't a phone call at all — it was a Zoom from new K-State head coach Casey Alexander, who won 303 career games between Stetson, Lipscomb and Belmont, and his coaching staff from the Ice Family Basketball Center. Yes, shortly after Gilhool entered the transfer portal, he received interest from "a bunch" of high-major schools. That included K-State, which had recently hired JJ Butler onto its staff as an assistant coach.
Butler served under Alexander at Belmont after two seasons (2023-25) as an assistant coach at Delaware, and after serving as an assistant coach at Division III Susquehanna University (2018-20) and was both an assistant coach (2017-18) and head coach (2020-23) at Division II Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, where he finished his playing career in 2016-17.
"I've known Coach JJ Butler since my sophomore year of high school," Gilhool says. "He coached at Chestnut Hill College, and my high school coach, who I have a really good relationship with, coached JJ Butler. They were on the same coaching staff, too, I believe. I'd play scrimmages sometimes, so JJ had seen me play for a while. It was a cool opportunity to see him come to K-State."
It didn't take long for Gilhool to reach a decision for the next destination along his basketball path.
"K-State was my first call — and also my first visit," Gilhool says. "I committed to K-State on my visit."
Why?
"It's just the way Coach Alexander plays," he says. "If you've ever seen a Belmont game, I knew I could fit the way he plays offense. It's run and gun, really fast, his bigs are versatile and they can shoot it, and that's what I really wanted. That was the biggest part for me — his playing style. I thought K-State was the best school I could succeed at."
After months of preparation, K-State prepares for its two-game exhibition season against Missouri on October 23 and at Nebraska on October 26. Then the Wildcats open their season against South Dakota State on November 3 at Bramlage Coliseum.
It'll be the first official game of the Alexander era at K-State.
It'll also be the first official time Gilhool will step onto the court in a college uniform as an active player.
"Sitting out last year was something I was never used to," Gilhool says. "Taking that year coming out of high school and then sitting at the end of the bench, I tried to be the best teammate I could be. I'm really looking forward to having this opportunity coming in with a clean slate and showing off what I can really do, and how hard I've worked to get to this spot. I'm super excited about it.
"I just want to prove to myself that I can be here. I've worked all this time. I've put the work in, and I believe in myself to the max. I'm really excited to see what I can do."
He pauses.
"Just having this new opportunity, a fresh start, is something I'm very fortunate to have."
Looking for a K-State player to root for this season?
Gilhool is all heart.
Players Mentioned
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