CJ Fredrick is an unsung hero for Kentucky

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Guard CJ Fredrick has shown he's more than just a shooter. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Assistant coach Chin Coleman was talking about Sahvir Wheeler when he offered this analysis on Monday before Kentucky played Vanderbilt, but what he said actually resonates with every player on the team.

“The team doesn’t need him to be a superstar — no one on the team does, for that matter. He’s one of many pieces that just need to play their role. Just be solid and everything else will fall into place,” said Coleman.

“If everyone is good, not one player has to be great.”

That actually made me think more about senior guard CJ Fredrick than it did Wheeler because the better the team has been, the more Fredrick’s play seems to matter.

“CJ is the unsung hero for the Kentucky Wildcats. Playing so smart and making plays at both ends,” SEC Network analyst Dane Bradshaw said Tuesday during UK’s win over Vanderbilt. “Fredrick’s passing has been outstanding in this game. He is not just a shooter.”

No he’s not. Think back to the play where Oscar Tshiebwe grabbed an offensive rebound, passed the ball outside to Fredrick who turned down a 3-pointer to throw the ball inside to Jacob Toppin for a dunk.

Fredrick is averaging 8.2 points, 1.7 assists and 1.1 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 40 percent overall from the field and 35.4 percent from 3 — a mark that UK coaches believe will improve over the next month.

“Everyone is starting to figure out what to do and their role. We’re not trying to do things we can’t do and we’re realizing each and every single one of us brings something different to the game,” Fredrick said after Tuesday’s win at Vanderbilt.

Teammates have noticed recently just how important Fredrick has been even if he’s not making shots.

“He’s been very positive, keeping us all together and making sure nobody falls off. You know, we’re all together and we’re gonna keep winning,” freshman point guard Cason Wallace said.

Guard Antonio Reeves, UK’s most productive outside scorer and shot maker, said Fredrick has been talking a lot more on the court in recent games. Reeves said he’s become an even better senior leader and it has been a big help for the Cats.

“Just that guy that’s vocal and just makes sure everybody’s involved,” Reeves said about Fredrick. “It actually helped me out too, just seeing him talk. It’s just contagious. Him being out there and being that knockdown shooter and that vocal leader, that’s what we need.”

Fredrick said the four-game win streak has been due to the overall team play along with one other thing.

“Just having a lot of fun with each other,” he said.

One Response

  1. “The team doesn’t need him to be a superstar — no one on the team does, for that matter. He’s one of many pieces that just need to play their role. Just be solid and everything else will fall into place,” said Coleman.

    Truer words have seldom been spoken, and that has been one of the secrets of UK basketball for decades, going back to Rupp with the Fiddling Five and the Runts. The synergy that builds on a team where each player is contributing like this team is currently playing becomes a very difficult team for an opponent to defeat. I believe this is getting at the heart of my concerns for years with Calipari’s NBA dream approach where individual accomplishments take on greater personal significance than team success.

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