When John Calipari announced that CJ Fredrick would be undergoing surgery for an injured hamstring, it was presumed that the transfer guard out of Iowa would miss the entire 2021-22 season.
This was a brutal loss for our team as CJ Fredrick would have been one of the best perimeter defenders on our roster, and potentially the best catch-and-shoot 3 point shooter in the nation.
While the Big Blue Nation eagerly waits to see if one guard - our top recruit Shaedon Sharpe - will play this season, CJ Fredrick surprisingly hints at being another.
Yesterday, CJ Fredrick posted a video of some highlights during his time at Iowa with the caption, "Patiently waiting…..⌛️⏳ ..Can’t wait to rock Kentucky Blue". Davion Mintz even joined in by commenting, "my boy c I cant wait".
The timing of this post, the caption, and Mintz's comment is enough to raise some eyebrows. But the biggest hint came from a separate comment on this post from Dr. Troy Pearce, a Cincinnati cosmetics doctor. CJ later reposted this comment on his own Instagram story.
The comment reads, "I've seen guys come back from injuries before. Take away the one thing someone loves the most and see what happens when you give it back to them. I can't wait for this one."
It continues, "If this guy (CJ) is healthy Big Blue is hanging a banner in '22. They might do it anyway."
At the end of the day, it is only speculation based on an Instagram post. While recovering from a surgery, setbacks and delays are always a possibility. But reading the tea leaves, I would not completely rule out a healthy CJ Fredrick returning by the SEC tournament.