CJ Fredrick: No pre-transfer portal contact from Kentucky

CJ Fredrick, who transferred from the Iowa men’s basketball team to Kentucky this spring, spoke to Kentucky reporters Tuesday. Here are some of his comments:

“It’s something super special to me.”

“I’m excited to do the same thing with this team, just come in and help this team do whatever it needs to do to win and create more memories at Rupp Arena.”

“I just see it as a great opportunity for me to come in and just get better and help this team win. I love to win.”

“I just kind of wanted something new. I loved my time at Iowa. I had three great years there, I loved the people there, they were great to me, they made me feel at home when I first stepped on campus. So I’m forever grateful for the opportunity they have given me and how great the fans and the people were to me. I met my best friends at that school so I wish nothing but the best for them and obviously they’re going to hold a special place in my heart for that.”

“I just wanted something new. I felt like it was best for me and my career to make this move and just develop more as a player, as a teammate, a person.

“Kentucky in no way had reached out to me before the portal. I went through the whole recruiting process when I was in the portal and I just felt this was the best opportunity for me. I took my time, I went through all the information, and this was the place I felt was best for me and my career.”

“Being around the (Kentucky) area, I kind of know what it means to play on this team. I never thought it would happen. I’m just super excited that it did happen. But I knew that I was going to go to a team that needed me and Coach Cal (John Calipari) was one of the first people to call me when I entered the portal. The minute I talked to him I could feel a genuine need for me to come in and help lead a team and help make shots and help spread the floor. That was something I really liked and enjoyed talking to him about.”