Meet the 2022-23 Kentucky Wildcats: A healthy CJ Fredrick projects as a valuable asset
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Need to know: Where every Wildcat fits for 2022-23
Meet every member of the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team through a series of preseason stories.
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We’re getting to know all 15 of the 2022-23 Kentucky Wildcats. Here is what to expect from one of UK’s senior guards. Watch Kentucky.com for stories about all of the remaining Cats as the preseason unfolds.
CJ Fredrick
Uniform number: 1.
Height/weight: 6-3, 185.
Position: Guard.
Class: Senior.
Age: 23.
Hometown: Cincinnati.
High school: Covington Catholic.
Fredrick’s role in 2022-23: Finally, Fredrick will make his UK debut this season. And he’s expected to play a significant role. The former Kentucky high school star missed all of last season due to injury but is fully healthy for the first time since he played at Iowa, where Fredrick shot 46.6 percent from three-point range over his first two years of college ball.
Kentucky will lean on that shooting ability this season, but Fredrick isn’t just a shooter. He’s a smart, all-around offensive player, a veteran guard who’s careful with the ball and willing to make the extra pass. He’s also a good defender, something that John Calipari has lauded him for on multiple occasions this preseason.
It’s not clear whether Fredrick will start — he was a starter for two really good Iowa teams — but it won’t be a surprise to see him in at the end of close games, given that ability to make three-point shots, stretch the floor, and play dependable defense.
Despite not yet playing a regular-season game at Kentucky, Fredrick has clearly earned the respect of his teammates and coaches, and he’s already seen as a leader on this squad. Calipari recently called him an “unbelievable teammate,” and he should bring a steady hand and experienced voice to this Wildcats team.
This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
