Iowa offers 2018 Kentucky guard with ties to McCaffery
IOWA CITY, Iowa – They say it’s not what you know, but who you know.
The Iowa basketball team is hoping that the old adage proves true after offering 2018 shooting guard C.J. Fredrick a scholarship on Tuesday.
Fredrick’s uncle, Joe Fredrick, played under Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery when McCaffery was an assistant coach at Notre Dame in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
C.J. Fredrick is ranked as a three-star recruit and is the top 2018 basketball recruit in Kentucky according to 247 Sports.
A native of Parks Hills, Ky., Fredrick has been a watching Iowa for quite while and was hopeful that an offer would come after the Iowa coaches watched him compete in AAU tournaments in Las Vegas and South Carolina.
"It feels great," C.J. Fredrick said Wednesday. "I’m very happy. I’ve always loved watching Iowa and how they play. My uncle Joe Fredrick played for Coach McCaffery so I have had a good relationship with him and respect the coaching staff very much.
"I definitely knew they were interested. I wouldn’t say I was shocked, but I was definitely looking forward to it and working hard for it. They were consistently watching me in South Carolina and Las Vegas."
The 6-foot-4, 165-pound Fredrick already has offers from Miami of Ohio and Ball State, but Iowa is his first high-major offer to date.
"I’m honored that the coaching staff has confidence in me," C.J. Fredrick said. "I respect the whole coaching staff very much. I’m just trying to work hard and improve everyday.
"They like my ability to play hard all the time and my ability to score all-around and create plays for my teammates."
Fredrick said he plans to visit Iowa in late October or in November.