The Virginia basketball program has been enjoying life under head coach Tony Bennett. However, the team received some tough news today.
According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Virginia guard Elijah Gertrude will miss the 2024-25 season after injuring his right knee in a scooter accident in April.
Gertrude injured his right knee on April 30th and underwent successful surgery to repair the issue on May 17th.
Gertrude showed some flashes of promising play during his freshman season. He made his collegiate debut in Virginia's win against then-14th ranked Texas A&M.
His best game came against NCCU where he scored a season-high 13 points. Gertrude also played significant minutes against UNC, logging six points, three rebounds, and two steals against a very strong opponent.
Overall, he averaged 3.4 points in 16 games last season.
Unfortunately, this is not Gertrude's first major injury of his young career. He missed his entire senior season of high school with an ACL injury. On the bright side, Gertrude is eligible for a medical redshirt year in 2024-25, which gives him three more years of eligibility once he returns.
Coach Bennett released a brief statement on the situation.
“Elijah will miss the 2024-25 season after suffering a knee injury in an unfortunate accident,” Bennett said via a press release. “He had a solid first season on Grounds and was off to a terrific start in our offseason workouts. Elijah’s surgery went well and he is already working hard on his rehabilitation.”
Virginia basketball head coach Tony Bennett lands major contract extension
The Virginia basketball program will have Tony Bennett at the helm for the foreseeable future.
Virginia has rewarded coach Bennett with a major contract extension that will keep him with the Cavaliers until April 30th, 2030. The contract also features an automatic one-year rollover which would extend him through April 2031 if he is still the teams' head coach as of April 30th, 2026.
University of Virginia Director of Athletics Carla Williams praised the program's head coach in an official press release.
“Tony Bennett is foundational to our efforts to compete for championships in this new model of college athletics,” Williams said, per Virginia Athletics. “He embodies everything important to the University of Virginia and Virginia Athletics. It’s an honor to work with him and we’re thrilled about the future of men’s basketball under his leadership.”
Bennett is entering his 16th season as the program's head basketball coach. Under his leadership, UVA has won one NCAA championship, two ACC tournament titles, and six ACC regular-season championships. Coach Bennett has earned two of his three National Coach of the Year honors at Virginia. He is also a four-time ACC Coach of the Year recipient.
Coach Bennett is grateful that he can stay with the program.
“I love UVA and it has always been a special place for me and my family,” Bennett said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with Carla Williams and Jim Ryan and to represent the University of Virginia. My staff and I look forward to adapting to the new landscape of college athletics. We will continue to build one of the best basketball programs on and off the court without compromising the values of our university. Go Hoos!”
Follow Us
Subscribe
