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Virginia Basketball Makes Top Five for Guard Elijah Gertrude

The New Jersey combo guard announced a top five of Seton Hall, St. John's, Kansas, Virginia, and Rutgers

Matt Newton

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Elijah Gertrude takes official visit to the Virginia men's basketball program.
UVA is a finalist for the commitment of 6'3" combo guard Elijah Gertrude (Jersey City, NJ) / ZagsBlog

Virginia is a finalist for yet another top target in the recruiting class of 2023. Elijah Gertrude, a 6'3" combo guard from Jersey City, New Jersey, announced a top five of Seton Hall, St. John's, Kansas, Virginia, and Rutgers on Saturday.

Gertrude is rated a three-star on both 247Sports and Rivals but is a four-star prospect according to On3. 247Sports ranks Gertrude as the No. 136 player in the country, the No. 21 combo guard in the class of 2023, and the No. 8 prospect in New Jersey. Gertrude is a consensus top 150 player in his recruiting class across the major recruiting services. 

Gertrude's announcement of his top five comes just a week after he took an official visit to UVA. 

“The Virginia visit was good, it was great actually,” Gertrude told Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog. “Their message is Coach Bennett feels I’m a great defensive player and I can take take that defensive effort to another level... He feels I’m very skilled offensively and we can work on some things. Coach Bennett feels he can develop me offensively and defensively he can make me much better.”

St. John's has also hosted Gertrude on an official visit, while Seton Hall and Rutgers had him on campus for unofficial visits. The other finalist, Kansas, has yet to host Gertrude. According to On3's Joe Tipton, Gertrude intends to announce his college decision by the end of September. With UVA having just hosted Gertrude, the Cavaliers are certainly considered one of the favorites to land his commitment when he announces next month. 

The Cavaliers are searching for their second commitment in the class of 2023 to accompany Blake Buchanan, Idaho's No. 1-ranked player, who announced his commitment to Virginia on July 3rd.

Stay updated on all the latest Virginia basketball recruiting news, including offers, visits, and commitments here: Latest Virginia Basketball Recruiting News and Updates

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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