IOWA BASKETBALL

Scouting Report: Fredrick brings elite shooting with Iowa commitment

Cody Goodwin
The Des Moines Register

C.J. Fredrick has long heard the praises of Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaffery. His uncle, Joe, played at Notre Dame in the late 1980s, during which McCaffery was an assistant. Uncle Joe often talked about his experiences in front of young C.J.

CovCath guard C.J. Fredrick drives to the hoop by Dixie forward Reed Bradfield.

“It has always been a dream of mine to play for coach McCaffery," C.J. Fredrick, Iowa’s newest basketball commit, told Scout.com on Saturday. “Joe has told me how great he is since I was a kid, so this is a dream come true for me.”

Indeed, Fredrick took another step toward that dream when he announced his commitment to the Iowa basketball program on Saturday. The 6-foot-4, 170-pound shooting guard from Kentucky picked the Hawkeyes over Xavier, Indiana and Butler, among others.

Fredrick’s status among the rest of the 2018 recruiting class varies by recruiting outlet. Rivals did not assign him any stars while 247Sports listed him as a two-star recruit. Scout.com was his biggest fan, tabbing him as a three-star prospect while one evaluator called him the best shooter in the Midwest.

“He can really, really shoot the ball,” said Brian Snow, a national recruiting analyst for Scout.com. “He’s a smart player. He doesn’t force anything. He can pass. He can handle a little bit off the dribble. He’s not a great athlete by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s got good length, good size.

“But he can really shoot the ball.”

Fredrick’s shooting display is not only lethal, but consistent. As a junior at Covington Catholic, he averaged 19.7 points per game, and was shooting as high as 60 percent during a stretch in early February. He helped guide the Colonels to a 29-6 overall record.

He continued his hot shooting throughout the spring live periods. While playing with Indiana Elite, Fredrick shot 40 percent from the floor, and 45.2 percent from three, over seven games in late April. His stroke helped draw offers from a handful of Big Ten Conference teams as well as others around the Midwest.

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“This long and smooth guard is an absolute knock-down shooter from anywhere on the court,” wrote Dylan Prezkop of Next Up Recruits back in May. “He has good size and a pure jump shot, which allows him to hit shots off the bounce or play off the ball.

“C.J. has a great feel for the game and understands how to get into spots to burn the defense. He moves well off the ball and is automatic coming off of screens … Fredrick’s ability to shoot from the outside will allow him to impact the college game from day (one).”

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That’s some high praise for someone who’s still three months away from the early signing period and another 10 or more away from setting foot on campus as a student-athlete. Even more, Iowa will need to find room on the scholarship chart for Fredrick.

Entering the 2017-18 season, the Hawkeyes have just one senior on the roster in Dom Uhl. Upon graduation, his scholarship spot was expected to go to Muscatine’s Joe Wieskamp, who was Iowa’s lone 2018 recruit until Fredrick’s decision on Saturday.

Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery yells to players as they take on Northern Iowa Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016, during their game in the Hyvee Classic at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

With the addition of Fredrick, Snow mentioned the possibility of a graduate transfer leaving the program after the season as a way to free up another scholarship. It’s not a guarantee, he continued, but it is something to consider.

“In today’s day in age in college basketball, kids transfer,” Snow said. “No coach even considers that an issue.”

Fredrick’s commitment bumped the Hawkeyes’ 2018 recruiting class to 22nd nationally, according to Scout’s team rankings. For a team hoping to build on a 19-15 season, where it won seven of its last 10 regular-season games, Fredrick’s shooting ability will surely be welcomed.

“He can put the ball in the basket and can stretch the defense and you have to account for him at all times,” Snow said. “He showed that he’s one of the best shooters in the country, and it doesn’t hurt to have good players like that in your program, that’s for sure.”

Cody Goodwin covers high school sports, college basketball recruiting and Drake athletics for The Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.