Virginia Basketball 2023-2024 Roster Preview: Elijah Gertrude
Basketball season is upon us. As we march closer to another exciting Virginia men's basketball season, CavaliersNow is previewing UVA's roster player by player in preparation for the 2023-2024 season, which begins on Monday, November 6th against Tarleton State at John Paul Jones Arena.
Today, we analyze freshman guard Elijah Gertrude.
Click on the following links to read our player previews for the rest of the UVA men's basketball roster: Isaac McKneely | Taine Murray | Anthony Robinson | Leon Bond III | Dante Harris | Blake Buchanan | Jake Groves | Andrew Rohde | Jordan Minor | Ryan Dunn | Reece Beekman
Among Virginia's 2023 recruiting class, it's a two-horse race between Elijah Gertrude and Blake Buchanan for who will emerge as the star of the class. Of course, the Cavaliers are hoping it will be both of them. Given how thin UVA is in the front court, Buchanan will have more opportunities to prove himself this season, but Gertrude's potential is arguably higher for the duration of his career.
A 6'4", 185-pound guard from Jersey City, New Jersey, Gertrude comes in as a four-star prospect, a top 50 overall recruit (and No. 6 shooting guard) in the class of 2023. As we will discuss, Gertrude brings a lot to the table as a gifted all-around basketball player, but the trait that made him a top-shelf high school recruit was his astonishing athleticism. Gertrude has been called the most athletic recruit of the Tony Bennett era, rivaling Justin Anderson, and his presence on the roster makes this one of Virginia's most athletic teams in recent memory.
But it's always difficult to forecast how freshmen will adjust in their first season at the collegiate level and it's especially challenging to determine how freshmen will fare at Virginia, where opportunities for legitimate playing time early on are few and far between.
Our first sample of Elijah Gertrude in a college basketball setting came in the Blue-White Scrimmage two Saturdays ago. Gertrude had a small, but not insignificant impact in his time on the floor, making one of his four field goal attempts and tallying two assists and a block. He more than held his own on the defensive end, which bodes well for his chances to find his way on the floor this season. He got up to block a corner three-point attempt by Isaac McKneely, which is not an easy feat considering the quick release and elevation McKneely has on his jumpers. Gertrude also capped the scrimmage with an awesome highlight, pulling up for a deep three-pointer and drilling it at the buzzer.
It's a small sample size, so we'll have to wait until we see him on the floor for extended stretches in real games to know for sure what Virginia has in Gertrude. But from his tape from high school, Gertrude could very well be a star in the making. He's able to create his own shots, using his quickness and smooth handle to get to the rim as well as elevate for mid-range jumpers. He can also shoot the ball from the perimeter, making him a legitimate three-level scorer.
Naturally, Tony Bennett was most excited about his defensive potential. Gertrude is extremely fast with his hands and feet, moving quickly both laterally and vertically, and has great instincts to jump passing lanes and block shots. Once he gets the ball, which happens quite a bit, he uses his speed and athleticism to turn defense into offense. We haven't even mentioned his ability to get up and throw down thunderous dunks. Gertrude is a human highlight reel (see below).
It should be noted that Gertrude missed his senior season of high school with an ACL injury suffered last fall. Fortunately, he recovered well ahead of schedule and was ready to return to the court by the time he arrived on Grounds last June. And while it didn't appear that Gertrude was particularly hampered by the injury during the Blue-White Scrimmage, he also didn't show off very much of his elite athleticism, so it's possible that he still needs some more time before he fully trusts that knee. Nonetheless, Virginia fans should certainly be excited about the the highlights Gertrude will undoubtedly deliver in his future career at John Paul Jones Arena.
For this season, though, Gertrude's role and impact will ultimately come down to two things. First, his own readiness in terms of physical fitness, his adjustment to the college level, and his ability to get up to speed in UVA's defensive system. The second factor will be the rest of Virginia's personnel. Reece Beekman and Isaac McKneely are going to take the bulk of the available guard minutes. That third guard/wing spot could go a lot of different places - Dante Harris, Andrew Rohde, Leon Bond III, Taine Murray, or Gertrude - and those same candidates will also be battling for reserve minutes. That's a lot of players vying for very finite playing time, but not one of those players is guaranteed to take over. All of those guys can and should get opportunities to prove themselves as deserving of significant time on the floor. For Elijah Gertrude, his athleticism and his ability to be a plus on the defensive end could be his path to become the next Cavalier to have a meaningful impact in his freshman season at Virginia.
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