Fredrick, Nunge Expect To Be Back On The Court Soon
CJ Fredrick and Jack Nunge were working on coming back from their surgeries when Iowa’s men’s basketball workouts were paused because two players had tested positive for COVID-19.
But Fredrick and Nunge think they’ll be ready for fall workouts when they begin.
Fredrick, who missed six games last season because of various injuries, had a screw inserted into his fifth metatarsal on July 15 because of a stress fracture.
Nunge is coming off an ACL tear that occurred early last season, an injury that earned him a medical redshirt season.
“I’m doing really well. I’m not in my cast, I’m not on my crutches,” Fredrick said Sunday. “I’m able to start putting a lot of pressure on that foot, and starting to be able to walk and do some rehab. So I’m really happy with the way I’m healing, and I should be on the court within the next three or four weeks, into September. So, not too bad there.
Fredrick was a regular in the Hawkeye lineup as a redshirt freshman last season, starting all 25 games he played in while being named to the All-Big Ten freshman team.
Fredrick, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, led the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.461, 47-of-102) and ranked third on the team in points per game (10.2). Fredrick was one of only three players nationally — and the only player from a major conference dating back to 1993 — to total 65 or more assists, 32 or fewer turnovers, and shoot 46 percent or better from 3-point range.
The only bad part of Fredrick's first season was his battle with injuries. He missed the ACC/Big Ten Challenge game at Syracuse (quadricep), two games in January (stress reaction in foot) and three games in February (ankle).
Nunge played in five games last season before suffering his injury.
Nunge had been working with assistant coach Kirk Speraw and forward Joe Wieskamp before workouts were paused.
“My rehab’s been going really well,” Nunge said. “I’m starting to move again on the court, doing a bunch of drills and stuff. My knee feels really good. Still a couple of weeks away from going fully live. But everything’s going really well.”
