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CJ Fredrick offers high praise to freshman class

On3 imageby:Sam Gillenwater07/16/22

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UK Athletics

Kentucky’s calling card since the arrival of John Calipari has been top-notch freshmen. This year’s three-man class was no exception as it ranked fifth in On3’s 2022 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings. The additions of Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston, a pair of Top 20 recruits, along with Adou Thiero will all be key for the Wildcats this season. UK guard CJ Fredrick says their freshmen are by no means normal freshmen.

Fredrick spoke highly of the trio during UK’s state tour in Georgetown, Kentucky. He said their bodies and size alone sets them apart from a normal freshmen, including himself in 2019.

“I love our freshmen. All of them are great. They’re not typical freshmen. When I came as a freshman, my body wasn’t like theirs,” said Fredrick.

Wallace is just 6-3 at 175 pounds, but how he uses it, especially on defense, is what makes him such a presence physically. Livingston is the typical, incredibly athletic forward that stands at 6-7 and 210 pounds. Meanwhile, Thiero is an enigma with a six inch growth spurt between his junior and senior seasons of high school. That may not even be the end for Thiero’s growth either.

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Beyond the size, CJ Fredrick says he’s equally impressed with the group’s poise. Playing under the bright lights of Kentucky can be a lot for any college player. He says that hasn’t been the case for UK’s 2022 class as they’ve taken everything that’s been thrown at them in stride.

“(It’s) just the way they approach things. Playing basketball at Kentucky is not easy, especially for a 17-18 year old kid. They have handled it great (and) come in every day and compete,” Fredrick said. “They look great, they’ve handled it like pros, and they’ve been doing really well.”

If Wallace, Livingston, and Thiero continue to follow the path of other one-and-dones at Kentucky, they’ll be just fine ahead of their college debut. That’ll come earlier than normal, though, as UK will get their first look at them in August when the team heads to the Bahamas for their preseason foreign tour.