St. John’s basketball: Elijah Gertrude makes college decision

St. John’s basketball recruiting target Elijah Gertrude made his college decision. 

Decision day for four-star guard Elijah Gertrude has come and gone and the Hudson Catholic High School (NJ) standout will not be joining the St. John’s basketball program next season.

Gertrude made his announcement on Wednesday afternoon on the 247Sports YouTube channel that he has committed to the Virginia Cavaliers.

The 6-foot-3 shooting guard picked Virginia over the Red Storm, Seton Hall, Rutgers, and Kansas.

Elijah Gertrude is ranked as the No. 107 player in the Class of 2023, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, as well as the No. 16 shooting guard in his class and the No. 6 player in the state of New Jersey.

ALSO READ: St. John’s has new leader quickly emerging and blossoming

Gertrude joins four-star power Blake Buchanan in the Virginia recruiting class.

St. John’s offered the New Jersey native in late May and shortly hosted the guard on a visit during the summer but things always felt that it was a long shot for him to land in Queens.

St. John’s basketball surveying other options in recruiting cycle

The Red Storm already have landed a commitment from four-star forward Brandon Gardner, a Top-100 high school senior, and continue to heavily pursue Brandon Williams and Carl Cherenfant.

Williams, a local standout at Christ the King (NY), is planning to announce his decision on Monday, September 19 as he has trimmed his finalists down to St. John’s and UCLA, although the Bruins are the perceived favorites.

ALSO READ: St. John’s visits Brandon Williams as commitment approaches

Brandon Williams is ranked as a four-star power forward and the No. 88 player in the Class of 2023.

Cherenfant, a 6-foot-4 four-star small forward, has not set a timetable for a commitment but the Johnnies, Central Florida, and Memphis remain the most involved with the No. 125 player in the country.

St. John’s currently has the No. 47 recruiting class in 2023.