April 27, 2023
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati head men’s basketball coach Wes Miller has signed his second transfer of the spring in former Kentucky guard CJ Fredrick.
Fredrick, a Covington Catholic High School graduate, spent his last two years in Lexington and the 2018-21 seasons at Iowa, a member of four NCAA Tournament teams over those five seasons (COVID as the only exception). He has averaged 7.9 points and 2.1 assists over 79 games, with 67 starts. Fredrick has also shot 41 percent from behind the arc and 78 percent at the foul line, and the 6-foot-3 guard will have up to two years of eligibility in Clifton.
“I’ve followed CJ’s career closely and have always admired him as a competitor,” head coach Wes Miller said. “We built a really strong relationship during his previous recruitment process, and I was excited for the opportunity to recruit him again.”
This past year with the Wildcats, he started 15 of his 26 games played, averaging 6.1 points and 1.5 assists per game. He had five double-figure games against SEC competition and fought through injury for a season-high four assists in just 15 minutes in a road win over Arkansas. He missed the 2021-22 season due to surgery in mid-November, and he was entering that campaign as the nation’s leading returner in career three-point percentage at 46.6 percent (min. 150 attempts).
“I’m thrilled he’s joining our team,” Miller said. “People will instantly recognize his shooting, and for good reason, but he’s so much more than just a shooter. He can do a variety of things on the floor that will impact our team. He’s tough, confident, and he’s been a winner everywhere he has been. Our team will benefit from his experience, and I love having guys in our program that understand the meaning of playing for the Bearcats. As a Cincinnati native, CJ does.”
Fredrick was tabbed All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2020-21, as well as the league’s Sportsmanship Award, as he started all 27 games in which he appeared (7.5 ppg and a 5.2 assist-turnover ratio). He posted six double-figure scoring efforts and shot 47.4 percent from deep, which ranked as the second-best clip by a sophomore in program history. His top games included a career-high 23 points (five treys) at Minnesota and 21 with five more in a win over North Carolina.
After redshirting the 2018-19 season, he earned Big Ten All-Freshman accolades in 2019-20. Fredrick, who averaged 10.2 points and 2.8 assists per game, led the Big Ten with a 46.1 percent deep clip. He was one of only three players nationally and the only player from a major conference dating back to 1993 with 65 or more assists, 32 or fewer turnovers and 46% shooting clip or better from 3-point range. His 21 points against Cincinnati in December in Chicago matched a season-high, something he also did against Michigan and Cal Poly.
Fredrick was the 2018 Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year and led Covington Catholic to the state title as a senior, among many achievements on and off the court.
2023-24 Newcomers
Rayvon Griffith (SF, 6-7, 180, Cincinnati, Ohio, Compass Prep (Arizona))
Jizzle James (PG, 6-1, 180, Orlando, Fla., Olympia HS)
DaVeon Thomas (PG, 6-0, 190, Columbia, S.C., Kilgore College)
Jamille Reynolds (F, 6-10, 280, St. Petersburg, Fla., Temple)
CJ Fredrick (G, 6-3, 185, Cincinnati, Ohio, Covington Catholic (Ky.) HS)
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