CJ Fredrick is excited to create new memories at Rupp Arena

CJ Fredrick is no stranger to playing under the bright lights of Rupp Arena.

The newest addition to the Kentucky Wildcats has a history with one of college basketball’s most historic and renowned basketball gyms, dating back to his high school days at Covington Catholic. As a high school senior with the Colonels, Fredrick shined all season long, appropriately being named the 2018 Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year after posting 23.1 points per contest on 48.4 percent shooting from 3-point range. His efforts were matched with a team record of 35-4 and a run to the Kentucky state championship, which was held at–you guessed it–Rupp Arena.

Fredrick was a superstar all season long and that didn’t change once he stepped onto the Rupp hardwood floors. During his state tournament run, the current Wildcat averaged nearly 28 points per game across four outings en route to the championship game. His high school career was stamped by a 32-point performance in the state finals, which ultimately ended with Covington Catholic taking down Scott County by a final score of 73-55 in the Sweet 16 championship.

After spending the last three years at Iowa where he played two terrific seasons on the court as a member of the Hawkeyes, Fredrick is back in Kentucky and will soon be just a short trip away from the same gym he lit up back in 2018. The rising college junior was introduced earlier on Tuesday to the Kentucky media and spoke a little bit about what coming back to Rupp Arena will feel like.

Instead of playing four games in four days as he did during the Sweet 16, Fredrick will have the opportunity to play dozens of games at Rupp for at least the next couple of seasons. He says it’s time to make some new memories.

“It’s something super special to me,” Fredrick said about being able to return to Rupp Arena. “I was able to lead my high school team to a state championship at Rupp. And everyone that plays in the Kentucky state basketball tournament kind of knows that feeling, getting to Rupp and how special that arena is and what it takes to get there. So I’m excited to do the same with this team, just come in and help this team do whatever it needs to do to win, and create more memories at Rupp Arena.”

During Covington Catholic’s state tournament run in 2018, Fredrick poured in 25 points, 32 points, 22 points, and 32 points, respectively, taking home the state title in the process. Those will be difficult memories to overtake, but a few 20-point showings in front of 20,000-plus members of the Big Blue Nation will be even harder to forget.