The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Family ties lead O’Toole to JCU
Gilmour grad will play along with brother
Connor O’Toole played his freshman and sophomore seasons alongside his brother, Owen, at Gilmour.
Connor O’Toole played his freshman and sophomore seasons alongside his brother, Owen, at Gilmour. Those years stand among his most cherished memories on the basketball court.
The nature of their bond helped O’Toole decide where he will spend the next four years.
O’Toole committed to John Carroll on June 2, where his older brother will be a junior in the 2020-21 season. After graduation, Owen will remain with the program on coach Pete Moran’s staff.
“He’s going to be the (graduate assistant) my junior and senior year, so that’s four years more with him,” O’Toole said. “I really enjoyed the two years playing with him at Gilmour so two more years playing with him and two more years coached by him is hard to pass up.”
Ties between the O’Toole family and the Blue Streaks run deep.
Assistant coach Frank O’Brien coached Connor’s father, Gilmour athletic director Sean O’Toole, in high school. O’Toole has known Moran and his brother, assistant coach Pat Moran, since he was young.
Growing up, O’Toole played with and against Elyria Catholic standout Branson Taylor — a Pitt football commit who is the younger brother of John Carroll assistant Spencer Roule. O’Toole’s coach during his first two years at Gilmour, David Pfundstein, also joined Moran’s staff prior to the 2019-20 season.
Moran and his staff attended many of O’Toole’s games during his junior and senior years, building upon a relationship that dates to days in O’Toole’s childhood.
“It was a little different of a recruiting process,” O’Toole said. “It wasn’t like I was just meeting this coach for the first time. I kind of knew them, I knew how they worked which I also liked, it makes me feel like I’m at home, like a family.”
O’Toole chose John Carroll amid offers from Lake Erie College, Baldwin Wallace and Mount Vernon. He strongly considered taking a prep year at the International Sports Academy in Willoughby. O’Toole also received an offer from Army.
At John Carroll, O’Toole plans to study sports management and pursue a minor in business. Sean
O’Toole serves on the Cleary Program in Sports Studies advisory council. Next to his brother, Connor follows his father and mother, Laura, as family members to attend John Carroll.
O’Toole began his career as a two-guard before taking over point guard duties following CJ Charleston’s graduation in 2019. He will bring outstanding court vision, passing ability, perimeter shooting and an ultrahigh basketball IQ to the Blue Streaks’ program.
O’Toole concluded his career
as Gilmour’s all-time leader in assists and 3-point shooting. He averaged 12.8 points and 6.2 assists per game while making 60 3-pointers during his senior year with the Lancers. During his final two seasons playing for coach Dan DeCrane, O’Toole helped lead Gilmour to 33 wins.
A first-team News-Herald all-star, O’Toole received All-Ohio special mention and first-team all-district recognition.
In the classroom, O’Toole’s project for a film
class shared “Best in Show” honors in this year’s Gilmour Academy Film Festival. Entitled “Basketball with my Brother,” O’Toole shared the meaning of his relationship with Owen.
Ultimately, the chance to continue their time as teammates superseded any other opportunity available.
“In the video I talked about how a scholarship has been my goal my entire life,” O’Toole said. “I can’t really put a price tag on playing with my brother again. That’s kind of what it came down to.”