Kentucky guard CJ Fredrick to enter transfer portal

Kentucky senior guard CJ Fredrick will enter the transfer portal after two seasons in Lexington, ending his time as a Wildcat.

The native of Cincinnati, Ohio averaged 6.1 points and 1.5 assists in 22.2 minutes per contest in 2022-23, shooting 35.1% from the field, 31.8% from three and 91.7% at the line. Injuries were a constant battle from the start with the 6-foot-3 guard, ending his debut season before it began in 2021-22 (torn hamstring) before dislocating his finger and cracking a rib at various points throughout his most recent campaign. He played 27 games, but was rarely at full strength, fighting through injury to play as depth crumbled down the stretch in the backcourt.

The constant wear and tear led Fredrick to openly discuss the possibility of retiring from basketball entirely following Kentucky’s loss to Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament.

“That’s why the emotions kind of hit me really hard, because I don’t know. This could be my last game playing college basketball,” he told KSR at the time. “You just look back at five years and all of the relationships I’ve had and the experiences I’ve had, I wouldn’t change anything honestly. All of the injuries, everything, I wouldn’t change it. It’s made me a better person, made me a better man. …

“I have more years, but I have no idea what I’m going to do right now. If it was the last time, I gave it everything I had.”

After a month to let his body heal and weigh his options, Fredrick has decided to continue playing. It just won’t be at the University of Kentucky. He is considering the possibility of turning pro and playing overseas, but with NIL, a return to college for one more season is also being considered.

“It has been a dream come true to play for Coach Cal, the University of Kentucky, and the best fans in the world in Big Blue Nation,” Fredrick announced Friday morning. “This experience has been so much better than I could ever have imagined. I have learned so much from Coach Cal on and off the court, and above all I am most grateful to him for teaching me how to be a servant leader.

“Thank you to my fantastic coaches, trainers, doctors, and support staff. You all were so great to me. My teammates, truly are my “brothers for life.” I loved going to war with you every game and know we will have relationships for a lifetime. Having to deal with a couple of freakish injuries I hope everyone knows that I’ve given my heart and soul to you and I’m proud that I’ll always get to be a Wildcat.

“In just a few weeks, I’ll be able to proudly say that I’m a graduate of the University of Kentucky. Having fulfilled this lifetime dream, I feel it is in my best interest to explore every option for my future for so many reasons. In addition to considering professional options, I’ll be entering the portal while maintaining my college eligibility. Thank you for all the support.”

Fredrick’s decision to transfer comes as Kentucky brings in five freshmen, four being five-stars and the fifth being a McDonald’s All-American himself. DJ Wagner and Rob Dillingham are expected to be primary ball handlers, while Justin Edwards and Reed Sheppard will join them in off-ball roles. Factor in the potential return of Antonio Reeves, the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer (14.4 PPG) this past season, and there’s a clear numbers crunch in the backcourt.

And though he’s loved his time as a Wildcat and seriously considered a return to Lexington, his drive to play an expanded role in his final year of eligibility won out.

“I enjoyed coaching CJ. What I loved most was that he never changed as a person or competitor despite dealing with all of the injuries,” John Calipari said of Fredrick. “He got back up every time & did whatever he could for his team. He knows he’ll always have a supporter in me & I wish him nothing but the best.”

Fredrick is expected to have a long list of interested suitors in the portal hoping to recreate the shooting magic he found at Iowa, knocking down 46.6% of his 3-point attempts across two seasons.

As for Kentucky, Reeves’ return becomes crucial as the program looks to bring back not only shooting and scoring in the backcourt, but leadership, as well.