Former Iowa, Kentucky, Cincinnati guard CJ Fredrick announces retirement from basketball

CJ Fredrick played seven seasons of college basketball at three different programs. Now, with the end of that collegiate career, he’ll be done completely with the sport with his announcement this week.

Fredrick took to social media to announce his retirement from basketball. That’s after 113 games played the past seven years with Iowa, Kentucky, and Cincinnati.

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“Man what a ride,” Fredrick wrote on Instagram and Twitter. “This game has given more to me than I could ever imagine. I’ve truly been blessed to be able to play this game and go to places I have dreamed of as a kid. Even at its lowest points, it was all worth it. I will forever love the game of basketball and the relationships it’s allowed me to have for life. To all my teammates, coaches, trainers, family and anyone I have met along the way, thank you for letting me be a small part of your life. I hope to give back to the game that gave me everything. Thank you.”

Fredrick averaged 6.5 points (43.1% FG, 41.2% 3PT), 1.7 assists, and 1.1 rebounds per game with the Hawkeyes, Wildcats, and Bearcats. His statistics dwindled each season, though, as he finished his career at 3.4 points (39.4% FG, 41.7% 3PT), 0.9 assists, and 0.8 rebounds the past two seasons in 34 appearances at Cincy.

However, Fredrick dealt with several injuries throughout his career leading to some of those struggles. That included issues with his hamstring, ribs, ankle, feet, and back across each of his stops, limiting his appearances with all three.

Arguably the most notable stop of his career came while at Kentucky. He missed his first season there completely with an injury before posting 6.1 points (35.1% FG, 31.8% 3PT) and 1.5 assists a game in his second. It was there in Lexington that he would meet Blair Green, a former player on the women’s basketball team, who he would later be engaged with and get married to last summer.

Fredrick, despite the injuries, had a solid career in college across his trio of stops. He’ll walk away from the game, though, with this news on his future.