Kentucky players react to CJ Fredrick's season-ending injury: "It sucks"

Just minutes before potentially making his season debut against Duke last week, CJ Fredrick was hit with another ill-timed injury. The Iowa transfer spent the offseason and preseason rehabbing a lower left leg injury; he was just starting to practice again as exhibition games rolled around.

However, Fredrick pulled his left hamstring during warmups inside of Madison Square Garden, and a few days later, his season was over. UK Athletics announced on Saturday that Fredrick will undergo surgery and likely miss the rest of the 2021-22 season.

“Frankly, there’s no other way to put it: it sucks,” Kentucky guard Kellan Grady said on Monday about Fredrick’s injury.

Grady and Fredrick are both new to Lexington, coming over as two of John Calipari’s four transfers for the 2021-22 roster. While Fredrick is at least somewhat familiar with the area, Grady was born in Boston and played four years of college hoops in North Carolina. The two were paired as roommates once they arrived and quickly became best friends.

For Grady, watching someone he’s grown so close to, so quickly, suffer another setback was devastating.

“It was heartbreaking,” Grady added. “CJ is one of my best friends here, we live together so even more of a personal connection for me. Seeing how hard he had worked to get back and then sometimes fate just works against you. Obviously, we could have used CJ for his basketball ability but it’s always horrible to see someone work so hard and they just get hit with an injury like that… It’s tough for all of us.”

Fredrick hadn’t played in any of the exhibition games prior to his hamstring injury, so Kentucky fans didn’t get a first-hand look at just what they’ll be missing the rest of the year. But it’s no hyperbole to say he’s one of the top shooters in all of college basketball.

During his two seasons at Iowa, the 6-foot-3 Cincinnati native shot 46.6 percent from three-point range. In total, he’s an impressive 83-178 through his college career from distance. Kentucky point guard Sahvir Wheeler went as far as to say that Fredrick is one of the greatest shooters he’s ever seen.

“CJ, obviously he meant a lot to the team, he still does, his presence in practice is felt every day,” Wheeler said on Monday. “He’s talking to us, we’re constantly trying to find ways to make sure he’s okay. It’s just an unfortunate situation that has happened but he’s super hard working. We’re gonna miss him, especially his shooting. He’s one of the best shooters I’ve ever been around.”

Luckily for the ‘Cats, this roster is deep and built to overcome injuries. Even without Fredrick, Kentucky has several high-level shooters who have stepped up early in the season. The good news is UK’s shooting should be just as good again next season when Fredrick comes back fully recovered.