Healthy CJ Fredrick could make huge impact for Kentucky

Kentucky finished the 2021-22 college basketball season with the National Player of the Year and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The loss to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s will be the lasting memory, but this was still a Kentucky team that finished just outside the KenPom top-five. Yet, the Wildcats accomplished that without an expected contributor.

Iowa transfer CJ Fredrick missed the entire season with a left hamstring injury and had to watch the Wildcats from the pine. As Kentucky’s shooters went cold down the stretch, that loss stung has it took a career 46.6 percent three-point shooter out of the lineup. However, Fredrick is now back in the gym working on his game as the Cincinnati native looks to make an impact as a redshirt senior.

Oscar Tshiebwe believes that the off-guard can give the Wildcats much-needed floor spacing on offense. Fredrick just needs to stay healthy.

“We expect him to make a shot,” Tshiebwe said about CJ Fredrick. “That boy been in the gym — he’s shooting. I was watching him two days ago, just shooting, he made like 35 in a row. I was like man that’s crazy you’re putting in the work. He’s looking good. I’m very proud of him and I keep praying for him so God can keep him healthy so he can help us and he can pursue his dream because he loves basketball. He’s always in the gym. Even when he was hurt he was just in the gym doing something.

After taking a redshirt season at Iowa, Fredrick started 52 games for the Hawkeyes over two seasons as he made over 46 percent of his three-point attempts both years. At 6-foot-3, Fredrick can do some ballhandling, but he’s at his best as a spot up shooter who can play off of a lead guard that can create off the bounce. That seems to be what Sahvir Wheeler needs, and the spacing provided could help Tshiebwe operate in the paint.

Fredrick is a key piece of the puzzle for the Wildcats in 2022-23 as John Calipari’s team needs to have the redshirt senior sharpshooter on the floor. If Fredrick is in the lineup, it could make the Wildcats a very tough cover due to interior threat of Tshiebwe combined with some of the dribble creation skills of Wheeler.

“He will help us this coming year,” said Tshiebwe.