The only time the Gilhool brothers were teammates was playing baseball for the Elizabethtown Boys Club. They were on the Pirates. Matthew was 12. Daniel was 9.
Before their high school days ended, they wanted another chance to wear the same uniform. This time in basketball, their preferred sport.
Daniel Gilhool, a 6-foot-9 freshman who played at E-town last season, is transferring and will join Matthew at Penn Charter in Philadelphia. It wasn’t an easy decision.
“I’ve always wanted to play with Matthew,” Daniel said. “I also wanted to stay at E-town. I had to choose.”
Matthew Gilhool played at E-town as a freshman and sophomore. The 6-foot-10 power forward went to Westtown in 2022-23 and Penn Charter last season. The older Gilhool has reclassified and will be playing his fifth season next winter.
Penn Charter was the outright Inter-Ac League champion for the first time in 20 years. Matthew was named the league’s most valuable player.
Daniel started at E-town as a ninth grader and averaged 6.3 points as the Bears finished 3-19. He hopes he can contribute at Penn Charter right away.
“I don’t know how it’s gonna be,” Daniel said. “I’m gonna have to earn my minutes, which I’m willing to do. It’s a really good team. Hopefully, I can earn that starting spot. If not, I’m going to take as many minutes as I can.”
Matthew is considered a four-star recruit and has at least 11 offers from major Division I colleges. He has yet to announce his destination.
Daniel hopes to follow that same path. The younger Gilhool hasn’t decided if he’ll reclassify. For the moment, he’s still a member of the Class of 2027. He believes Penn Charter gives him the best chance to maximize his potential and play Division I.
“There’s a beautiful gym, a beautiful weight room,” Daniel said. “That’s a huge part of it. It’s what’s going to help me get to the next level.”
Daniel will be leaving E-town and the Lancaster-Lebanon League behind. He said it’s difficult knowing he’ll no longer play with or against the familiar faces of his childhood.
It was a sacrifice Daniel had to make in order to have one season alongside his big brother. The two will become twin towers at Penn Charter.
“Hopefully we can have that Gilhool chemistry,” Daniel said. “So I can do what I do best and he can do what he does best. We can play off of each other.”
