Kentucky fans are going to love CJ Fredrick

CJ Frederick says he would not feel comfortable wearing the same number as Terrence Clarke.

CJ Fredrick was a terrific high school basketball player at Covington Catholic when he helped his team win the state championship. He could shoot but his overall game was also terrific.

He spent the last three years at Iowa and I’ll admit I did not get many chances to watch him play, so when he transferred to Kentucky, I did not know a lot more about him than I did when I saw him play in high school.

But it is obvious that Fredrick is a mature player both on and off the court based on what he’s already done at Kentucky.

No, he won’t play his first game until November but he’s already showing he bleeds blue.

He wore No. 5 at Iowa but won’t wear that number at UK. Terrence Clarke wore No. 5 last season and after his death in an automobile accident this spring, Fredrick opted to go for another number because he didn’t feel “comfortable” wearing Clarke’s number.

“I just felt like all he did for the university, and the people and the teammates that he touched, I felt it really wasn’t my place to take that away from him and his family,” Fredrick told media members during a UK satellite camp at Covington Catholic Saturday.

“Their family, it should be their decision. I shouldn’t be wearing that.”

That’s the kind of unselfish attitude that Kentucky fans appreciate on or off the court. With Fredrick being a former Kentucky prep standout, he was already going to be popular with fans. His decision not to wear No. 5 is only going to endear him with fans more.

“These fans, they’re the best in the country,” Fredrick said at the UK camp. “There’s no doubt about it. They’re great people and great fans.”

And fans who are going to love CJ Fredrick.