As Iowa transfer CJ Fredrick inches closer and closer to his debut for Kentucky, the updates keep coming in. This afternoon, he and Lance Ware both met with the media to discuss how their off-seasons are going.
After sitting out all last year due to his hamstring rehab, of course CJ was bogged down by questions involving an update on his condition. "My body feels really good. This is probably the most athletic and most quick I've ever been," Fredrick told reporters. "It (being sidelined) allowed me to focus on myself and my body and it gave me time to heal my body. It's given me time."
After sitting out an entire season, Fredrick says what he's learned from the sidelines point-of-view is that he knows exactly what is expected from him when he finally does get on the court. Upon entering his second season in Lexington, he says, "I feel like I'm a veteran here... I know Cal, I know the plays. Obviously, I didn't want to get hurt, but it's almost been like a blessing for me. Just being able to learn about the game, learn what Cal likes. It's been a good six, seven months."
With the Bahamas trip falling onto the schedule this summer (happens every four seasons), fans would like to know if they are going to get to see him play in it or not. Right now, he says that the training staff has him on a 5-week plan to ramp-up his workouts in order to prepare him for the game speed. He's officially been cleared by his doctors and the trainers, but obviously can't just be thrown into full game-play just yet. "I've worked extremely hard to get back and get my body in the best shape possible. We have a good five-week plan."
While it's not official yet on if he will be suiting up in the Bahamas, CJ says it is his goal to do so. "For me, that could be my first game back. It's a goal for me just because it gives me an opportunity to go out there and mess up and it doesn't count. If I don't play well or I mess up, that's what I need. But it's a great opportunity for us to bond."
Fredrick's last season of basketball was at Iowa in the 2020-21 season, where he averaged 7.5 points and 1.9 assists for the Hawkeyes, and started in all 27 games in which he played, shooting 47.4 percent from three-point line. With losing Kellan Grady due to graduation, the spotlight is on CJ to step up into that role. With a healthy body, many believe he can. Only time will tell.