Kentucky transfer CJ Fredrick commits to Cincinnati

CJ Fredrick is taking his talents back to his hometown of Cincinnati, transferring to play for Wes Miller and the Bearcats.

The former Wildcat announced his commitment to UC on Monday, back to where it all started for his final season of college basketball.

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Fredrick 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 Cincinnati native ultimately decided to enter the transfer portal on Friday, April 21, returning to basketball after considering a retirement to open the regular season. He also weighed his professional options overseas before choosing the Bearcats.

“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. … Having fulfilled this lifetime dream, I feel it is in my best interest to explore every option for my future for so many reasons.”

Fredrick also heard from the likes of Arizona, West Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio State, Indiana, St. John’s, Notre Dame, Xavier and Oklahoma before committing to Cincinnati.

Back home, he’ll hope to recreate the shooting magic he found at Iowa, knocking down 46.6% of his 3-point attempts across two seasons.