By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The news on Wednesday that C.J. Fredrick had made his transfer to Kentucky official hardly came as a surprise.

The only surprise would’ve been if he had picked a different school.

It seemed pretty obvious from the moment that Iowa coach Fran McCaffery announced in a one-sentence statement that Fredrick had entered the transfer portal that Fredrick would ultimately pick Kentucky.

Rumors had persisted since early February that Fredrick, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Cincinnati, was seriously considering transferring to Kentucky, and his uncle helped fuel the rumors by dropping not-so-subtle hints on Facebook that it could happen.

And now that is has happened, the best thing for both sides is just to move on.

Welcome to the family, @cj_fredrick
#LaFamilia x #BuiltDifferent 😼🏀 pic.twitter.com/tbR5ILUW3p

— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) May 5, 2021

If Iowa truly believes that Kentucky tampered in Fredrick’s case, then Iowa is certainly within its right to pursue that charge, although, it probably won’t lead to anything.

It seems pretty obvious that Fran McCaffery was caught by surprise when Fredrick told him that he wanted to enter the transfer portal. They had reportedly met at least twice since the season ended and Fredrick gave no indication that he was considering transferring.

So what once was considered a rock-solid relationship between C.J. Fredrick and Fran McCaffery is now probably damaged forever and beyond repair.

And that’s a shame.

The game that brought them together has now torn them apart.

The Iowa fans who feel that Fredrick betrayed the program, hopefully, you can feel that way without lashing out on social media because that would be a horrible look.

C.J. Fredrick is gone from Iowa City and he isn’t coming back anytime soon.

He made some big shots for Iowa over the course of two seasons, but he also battled with nagging injuries that limited his availability and his effectiveness.

Fredrick now joins a Kentucky program that is stepped in tradition, but also coming off a 9-16 season. His ability to make 3-point shots should fit nicely with Kentucky’s athleticism.

As for the team he leaves behind, it’s business as usual.

Players come and go, especially in this age of the NCAA transfer portal, and the only option is to adjust.

If the Iowa players are upset with how Fredrick handled his transfer, then use it as motivation to get better and to show that you don’t need him.

Jordan Bohannon has decided to return for a sixth season, and he said Fredrick’s decision to transfer played a factor in that decision.

Bohannon also plans to switch from point guard to shooting guard in order for Joe Toussaint to run the offense, so Fredrick’s decision to transfer has sort of had a domino effect.

But again, the best thing is just to move because Fredrick has moved on.

Be happy with the players who still are in the Iowa program, and rise above being petty and vindictive on social media.