CJ Frederick got a welcome hug from the Wildcat when he moved into his dorm room at UK recently. (UK Athletics Photo)
Iowa transfer CJ Frederick was a Kentucky high school standout as he led Covington Catholic to a state championship three years ago when he was the team’s leading scorer. He was not that highly recruited and stuck with his early commitment to Iowa even after his impressive state tourney showing.
Frederick redshirted one season and then was a productive contributor the last two seasons before deciding to transfer to Kentucky, a school that did not recruit him in high school.
But considering he’s actually from Cincinnati, does he consider himself a Kentuckian where he played high school basketball or an Ohioan? That’s a question he got at his introductory press conference and I thought he had a great answer.
“I’ve kind of been all over. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. I would wake up in the morning and drive over the bridge to Cov(ington) Cath(olic). It was really an easy drive for me,” Frederick said. “And then I played AAU basketball in Indiana, so I’ve been all over the place.”
All over the place indeed.
“I’m from Cincinnati and that’s always going to be where I’m from. I love this city and everything about it, but as I got older and played high school basketball in Kentucky, that was a new family for me,” he said.
“My grandparents lived up the street. All my family lived up the street, so I had been going to Cov Cath games over in Northern Kentucky since I was a little kid. I always loved that. It’s home.
“So, I feel like I just have two great homes. I know that’s weird to say but I have family in both areas, and I consider myself home both ways.”
