CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – With forward Thijs De Ridder, center Johann Grünloh and guards Sam Lewis and Chance Mallory all back with the program for the 2026-27 season, Ryan Odom has a strong core to build off his impressive first season in Charlottesville. 

He also has an open spot in his starting five. 

And while Odom and the UVA staff have been hard at work looking to add to the roster through the NCAA transfer portal this month, including this week’s reported addition of UC Irvine wing Jurian Dixon, there’s another returning player who has his sights set on those minutes. 

Elijah Gertrude, the last scholarship holdover from the Tony Bennett era, missed the 2024-25 season after injuring his knee in a scooter accident. Gertrude saw limited action in Odom’s first year leading the Cavaliers, coming off the bench in 17 games.

He averaged 6.4 minutes per outing, with 1.7 points and 0.8 rebounds per game for a Virginia team that finished second in the ACC and won its first NCAA Tournament game since 2019.

Despite his limited role, Gertrude told Cville Right Now that it wasn’t a lost year. Far from it.

He learned from watching his teammates and continued his personal development, in particular working with UVA assistant Darius Theus.

“It’s been a fun process, being able to learn from a lot of these guys while getting back healthy,” Gertrude said. “Having a chance to watch Dallin play, even Chance as a young guy, come in and play a crucial role on this team. So having a chance to watch those guys while I’m getting healthy and working my way back to knowing how I play, it’s big for me.”

 It’s not that Gertrude’s season came and went without a few highlights. 

On Feb. 18, during the final minutes of a blowout win at Georgia Tech, Gertrude took a steal coast-to-coast and threw down a two-handed dunk, swinging himself around the rim.

A week later, at home at John Paul Jones Arena with 1:24 left in a blowout of North Carolina State, Gertrude brought the ball up court, crossed over to his right, drove through the lane and flushed a vicious one-handed slam across his body.

What Gertrude craves, however, is meaningful minutes. His lack of playing time prompted speculation that he might transfer after the season. Instead, he joined DeRidder, Grunloh, Lewis, Mallory and fellow reserves Martin Carrere and Silas Barksdale in returning to Odom and the Cavaliers.

“Obviously, everybody wants that, to play,” Carrere told Cville Right Now. “But I’m a team first guy and I’m really happy to contribute to winning whether it’s being on the bench giving energy or in practice, challenging those guys. So, I’m not frustrated right now. I’m just happy we won.”

Gertrude took a similar approach.

“I really don’t think too much about all of that,” Gertrude said when asked about his future during the ACC tournament in March. “I think about what’s going on now.” 

Gertrude and Carrere said the chemistry of the 2025-26 team, along with the success, made the season enjoyable even without having significant roles.

And for Gertrude, it allowed him the chance to get fully healthy.

“I feel great,” Gertrude said. “Being available for Coach Odom whenever he needed me, that’s what we talked about a lot. Just staying healthy and working back to my game, getting my legs under me.”

Much of that time was spent working with Theus, who had recruited Gertrude out of high school when Theus was coaching at Siena. Gertrude described Theus’s style as “intense but genuine,” and said his presence on Odom’s staff helped Gertrude adapt to the new coaches.

The two focused on Gertrude’s shooting, his ball-handling and getting his explosiveness back into his game.

“It was pretty cool to have someone there who’s pretty familiar with you. That’s my guy,” Gertrude said. “With Coach Theus he’s very intense but it’s constructive criticism. Knowing that he’s done it as a player and I see similarities between me and him on the defensive side of the ball. Having a chance to grow and learn from somebody like Coach Theus is amazing.”

How Odom’s lineup and rotation will shape up for his second year at UVA is to be determined. With Dixon’s addition, Odom has continued his strategy of focusing on shooting as he mines the portal.

Dixon was the Big West Freshman of the Year two seasons ago. This past year, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound sharpshooter averaged 15.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while knocking down 38.5% of his 3-point attempts.

And Odom’s work isn’t done. UVA lost four scholarship players off last year’s 30-6 team.