CJ Fredrick Arises as Kentucky's On-Court Captain: 'CJ Leads, Man, He Just Leads.'
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Of the many things that Kentucky basketball was lacking across the first half of the regular season, an on-court leader was blatantly one of them.
As Gonzaga, Missouri and Alabama all ran rampant over the Wildcats in their respective home gyms (or at least their home cities), Kentucky had no player to lean on when games weren't going according to plan — which was happening at a far-too-frequent rate for UK's liking. Coach John Calipari and the assistants were barking as much as possible from the bench, but the signal receptors were nowhere to be found.
Kentucky lacked on-court chemistry, cohesion, connection, the whole nine. When the going got tough, the Wildcats packed it in and took punch after punch on the chin, quickly beginning to resemble one of the many boxers squashed by Mike Tyson in the late 1980's.
One Wildcat has begun taking over that player-leadership role that has been so desperately required since the season opened on Nov. 7. It took some time, but redshirt senior shooting guard CJ Fredrick has carved out an archetype for himself that leans on something far more important that hitting 3-pointers.
Last Saturday, with Kentucky's hopes for a season turnaround hanging by a frayed thread, the Wildcats entered hostile territory in Knoxville, Tenn., taking on the then-No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers. UK entered the matchup without starting point guard Sahvir Wheeler and backup forward Daimion Collins, while fellow starting guard Cason Wallace was far from 100 percent due to back spasm issues.
The path to victory was a steep one, and it only became more daunting after the first few possessions of the game. In a flash, the Volunteers were up 8-0, prompting that "here we go again" feeling for both the players and Big Blue Nation.
It was far from the beginning of the end, however, as a 13-2 run — spearheaded by three baskets and eight points from Fredrick — got the Cats out of first gear, sparking momentum for what would eventually become a trajectory-turning 63-56 victory on Rocky Top. Fredrick played 37 minutes and scored 13 points, but was newly-vociferous, leading the team vocally as they scratched and clawed for the biggest win of the season.
After the game, it was Fredrick who broke the team down, telling his teammates "I love all of you man, it's only up from here, I promise bro."
The shocker over the Vols of course followed one of the worst losses in the Calipari era, as the Quadrant 4 South Carolina Gamecocks stormed out of Rupp Arena with a 71-68 win, sending UK into that familiar rock-bottom feeling.
Between the loss to SC and the win over UT, the Cats held a players-only meeting, where Fredrick and others voiced their thoughts about the season and said "things that needed to be said."
More on that meeting HERE.
When asked if he viewed himself as a leader, Fredrick responded "Yeah, for sure. We have plenty of leaders, guys who have been around and played for Cal(ipari) and have been here a while. But yeah, for sure."
Freshman Adou Thiero confirmed, pointing towards an example that occurred in the win over Tennessee last weekend:
"CJ is a very good leader," he said. "I mean, on the court, he's talking. If it's not his man, he's still talking to you. He always makes sure I don't put my head down. Because after my first turnover he was telling me 'you're good, you're good. Just calm down and stay focused. You'll be fine.'"
That leadership role was solidified for the Cincinnati native on Tuesday night, as he kept the Cats in order while Oscar Tshiebwe and a supporting cast fended off the Georgia Bulldogs for an important 85-71 win. Calipari provided the official stamp of approval after the victory:
"CJ leads, man, he just leads. He's smart."
Kentucky's season as a team has not gone to plan, but neither has Fredrick's as a player. The end of November and entirety of December were not kind to the Iowa transfer, as he had six games with three points or less, capped off by catching a pass awkwardly in UK's loss at Missouri, dislocating a finger, forcing him to miss the next three games.
Tuesday night wasn't particularly great scoring wise for Fredrick either, as he made just one of eight shots — though the sole make did give UK its first lead in the second half. The lack of production was far from the focus, however, as his uptick in guidance for his teammates carried the weight.
Shooting guard Antonio Reeves is someone who's also been trying to find a nook or cranny to nuzzle in on UK's roster. 11 points off the bench from the Illinois State transfer and a win over the Bulldogs showcased how he and his fellow-sharpshooter are finally fitting their respective piece into the puzzle.
"We were just finding our roles, you know? At the beginning of the season, we were just trying to find our identity at first ... really trying to see who we really are, and we're definitely figuring that out now. C-Fred is talking, i'm talking, i'm trying to talk more," he said.
Just like winning, vocality becomes infectious.
"Being a senior leader that he's always been," Reeves continued about Fredrick. "Just that guy that's vocal and just makes sure everybody's involved. 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."
"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," Wallace added.
While Fredrick's shooting numbers are what show up in the box score after games, it's clearly no longer the only thing he's bringing to the table.
More on the big win over the Bulldogs here.
More on Ian Jackson's commitment to North Carolina HERE.
More on how a players-only meeting shifted Kentucky's momentum HERE.
John Calipari found vindication in Kentucky's victory over the Volunteers. More HERE.
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