What does Elijah Gertrude’s injury mean for UVA basketball in 2024-2025?

Virginia Cavaliers basketball fans received some devastating news this past week when the basketball program announced that Elijah Gertrude will miss the entire 2024-25 season with a serious knee injury.

He suffered the injury in a scooter accident in late April, and it’s now the second major knee issue he’s endured in his young career after an ACL injury kept him out his senior season in high school.

More important than anything, the Virginia basketball community wishes Elijah a safe and speedy recovery. We can’t wait to see the ultra-talented student-athlete back playing basketball again in a Cavalier uniform.

Losing Gertrude for a season is a devastating blow for the Virginia basketball team. With Reece Beekman – Virginia’s captain and undisputed star on both ends of the court – departed for the NBA after the 2023-24 season, ‘Hoos fans expected Elijah Gertrude – a top-50 overall recruit in the Class of 2023 – to take a massive leap heading into his sophomore season.

He had the opportunity to seize major minutes as the starting point guard in 2024-25. Gertrude flashed his talent and athleticism in a limited sample size last season, and he looked to be blossoming into Virginia’s next two-way stud at guard.

So what’s next for the ‘Hoos? With Reece Beekman gone, and Gertrude out for the season, Tony Bennett has a massive talent and minutes gap to fill in the backcourt.

Even before Gertrude’s injury, Bennett was hunting for potential freshmen or portal additions to bolster the team’s guard depth. Bennett landed Florida State transfer Jaylen Warley in early May, and followed it up by snagging Kansas State’s Dai Dai Ames two weeks later.

At the same time, Dante Harris entered the transfer portal, before rejoining Virginia a few weeks later as a walk-on. This leaves the 2024-25 Virginia Cavaliers with seniors Warley and Harris, sophomore Ames, redshirt freshman Bliss, and even juniors Isaac McKneely and Andrew Rohde as possible point guard options.

Returning Options

Before last season, Dante Harris was set up to be the successor to Reece Beekman, coming off a promising start to his collegiate career in which he averaged 11.9 points per game as a sophomore at Georgetown. But injuries and poor shooting derailed Harris last season. His playing time dwindled late in the season, and he finished the year averaging a career low 2.5 points per game on 28% shooting.

After entering the portal and subsequently returning as a walk-on, Harris probably won’t see the court too often next season. But his experience and defensive knowledge will make him a valuable asset regardless of how much he plays.

Christian Bliss joined the Virginia program a year early in 2023 after he decided to reclassify from 2024 to 2023, and redshirt his first season with the ‘Hoos. At 6’4, Bliss brings much needed size to the backcourt, as well as the defensive prowess to guard multiple positions effectively. Bliss himself claimed that redshirting, “was the best decision I could’ve made.”

He’s been praised by the Virginia coaching staff for his athleticism and work ethic, and he should be rewarded with early opportunities at playing time next season. Bennett’s not afraid to put the ball in the hands of first-year point guards that he trusts to take care of the ball.

London Perrantes and Kihei Clark are two recent examples of guards who started or contributed significantly in their first seasons with the ‘Hoos. Bliss probably won’t start at point guard, at least in the beginning of the season. But he should at the minimum fill the Dante Harris role from last season, plugging in for 10, 15 or 20 minutes off the bench, providing solid defense and play-making that can impact games.

Isaac McKneely is in an interesting situation. The junior sharpshooter will be the leading scorer on next year’s squad. He’s one of the best catch-and-shoot jump shooters in Division I, and he may be the best pure three-point shooter in the nation

Returning Options

Before last season, Dante Harris was set up to be the successor to Reece Beekman, coming off a promising start to his collegiate career in which he averaged 11.9 points per game as a sophomore at Georgetown. But injuries and poor shooting derailed Harris last season. His playing time dwindled late in the season, and he finished the year averaging a career low 2.5 points per game on 28% shooting.

After entering the portal and subsequently returning as a walk-on, Harris probably won’t see the court too often next season. But his experience and defensive knowledge will make him a valuable asset regardless of how much he plays.

Christian Bliss joined the Virginia program a year early in 2023 after he decided to reclassify from 2024 to 2023, and redshirt his first season with the ‘Hoos. At 6’4, Bliss brings much needed size to the backcourt, as well as the defensive prowess to guard multiple positions effectively. Bliss himself claimed that redshirting, “was the best decision I could’ve made.”

He’s been praised by the Virginia coaching staff for his athleticism and work ethic, and he should be rewarded with early opportunities at playing time next season. Bennett’s not afraid to put the ball in the hands of first-year point guards that he trusts to take care of the ball.

London Perrantes and Kihei Clark are two recent examples of guards who started or contributed significantly in their first seasons with the ‘Hoos. Bliss probably won’t start at point guard, at least in the beginning of the season. But he should at the minimum fill the Dante Harris role from last season, plugging in for 10, 15 or 20 minutes off the bench, providing solid defense and play-making that can impact games.

Isaac McKneely is in an interesting situation. The junior sharpshooter will be the leading scorer on next year’s squad. He’s one of the best catch-and-shoot jump shooters in Division I, and he may be the best pure three-point shooter in the nation

The 6’1 lefty point guard has a lightning fast first-step, and is crafty at finishing around the rim against big-men. His game is somewhat reminiscent of Kihei Clark. He’s excellent at driving and dishing to open three point shooters and post players, and his quickness allows him to beat his primary defender and constantly find gaps in the defense.

Ames needs to shoot more efficiently (he shot just 32.9% from three), but he did show signs of improvement from deep last season, as his percentage skyrocketed in the second half of the season. If he can learn the Packline defense and fit into Tony Bennett’s new offensive plan, then I expect Ames to start at point guard for the Cavaliers, playing upwards of 25 minutes per game.

Finally, there’s a chance we see 6’7’ senior combo guard Jalen Warley logging some minutes at point guard. Warley is a bit of an anomaly. He was once a Top 50 recruit, heavily recruited by Virginia out of high school, but he didn’t quite live up to those expectations at Florida State.

This is mostly due to his difficulty making threes, as he practically stopped taking them altogether in his junior year, making just one three-pointer all season. He struggled to shoot from outside, but he can finish around the rim with his length and athleticism, and the best part of his offensive game has been his playmaking for others and care of the basketball.

Warley doesn’t turn the ball over often and he’s got good vision. He’ll most likely play on the wing as either a starter or vital bench piece filling in for McKneely and Rohde, and his length makes him a fantastic defender who can guard positions 1-4. Perhaps he’ll slot in at point guard at times to open up shots for more capable three-point shooters like McKneely and Ames.

Virginia won’t be able to replace Gertrude’s dynamic, two-way playmaking. It will be hard to find a player on this roster with his highlight-reel athleticism. That being said, the team has the depth and experience to compensate for his injury, and the point guard situation will be figured out by Bennett and his staff, no matter how many practices and games it takes. For now, we’re wishing Elijah Gertrude a swift recovery, and we’ll eagerly await his return to the court at John Paul Jones arena as he progresses in his young basketball career.