CJ Fredrick Basketball Retirement: What Really Happened to the Sharpshooter

If you’ve followed college hoops over the last few years, you know the name CJ Fredrick. Or, more accurately, you know the shooting stroke. It was one of those textbook, effortless releases that made opposing coaches lose sleep. But honestly, his story ended up being about way more than just three-pointers.

In April 2025, the news finally went public: CJ Fredrick was officially retiring from basketball.

It wasn’t a shock, but it still felt heavy. He posted a heartfelt goodbye on social media, basically saying the game had given him more than he could’ve ever dreamed. He thanked his teammates, his trainers, and the fans from Iowa, Kentucky, and Cincinnati. After seven years in the college system, the man was done.

The Seven-Year Journey Nobody Expected

Seven years. Think about that for a second. Most guys are in and out in four, maybe five if they take a redshirt. CJ Fredrick’s college career was a marathon of endurance, spanning from his 2018 start at Iowa to his final days as a Bearcat in 2025.

He was the definition of a "winner" coming out of Covington Catholic in Kentucky. A Gatorade Player of the Year. A state champion. When he got to Iowa, he looked like the next great Big Ten sniper.

As a freshman with the Hawkeyes, he shot a blistering 46.1% from deep. That’s not just "good college player" numbers; that’s elite, world-class spacing. He was the perfect Robin to Luka Garza’s Batman. But even back then, the cracks were starting to show—literally. A foot injury here, a rib issue there. It was the beginning of a pattern that would eventually define his career as much as his jumper did.

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Why CJ Fredrick Basketball Retirement Felt Inevitable

The move to Kentucky in 2021 was supposed to be the homecoming. The "missing piece" for John Calipari’s roster. Instead, it became a tragedy of bad luck.

Imagine this: You transfer to your dream school, you win the Big Blue Madness three-point contest, and then, during warmups of the very first game against Duke at Madison Square Garden, your hamstring just... goes.

• 2021-22: Entire season lost to left hamstring surgery.
• 2022-23: Played 27 games, but dealt with a dislocated finger and broken ribs.
• 2023-24: Transferred to Cincinnati, but a hamstring injury on the other leg slowed him down.
• 2024-25: A season-ending back injury in February finally closed the book.

Honestly, it's kinda remarkable he kept coming back. Most people would have thrown in the towel after the second surgery. But CJ was a "gym rat" in the truest sense. He loved the grind, even when the grind was just rehab and ice packs.

By the time he was at Cincinnati, he was essentially a player-coach. Head coach Wes Miller raved about his leadership, but the body just wasn't cooperating anymore. In his final season, he was playing less than 10 minutes a game. The "flamethrower" was still there in spirit, but the physical toll of 113 college games and nearly a decade of high-level stress had reached its limit.

What Most People Get Wrong About His Legacy

There’s this narrative that CJ Fredrick was "injury-prone," which feels like a lazy way to describe a guy who played through more pain than most of us can imagine.

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He wasn't just fragile; he was unlucky. Getting a rib injury because you crashed into a courtside camera isn't a "fitness" issue—it's just a freak accident.

The real story isn't the games he missed. It’s the fact that through three different high-major programs, nobody had a bad word to say about him. You don't see that often in the portal era. Usually, there’s some bitterness when a guy leaves. But Iowa fans still respected the shot, Kentucky fans loved the grit, and Cincinnati fans appreciated the veteran presence he brought to the Big 12 transition.

He finished his career as a 41.2% career three-point shooter. In the world of modern basketball, that is pure gold. If his legs had held up, we’d be talking about him as a specialist in the NBA right now. Instead, he’s a legend of the "extra year" era—a guy who used every ounce of eligibility the NCAA would give him.

What’s Next for CJ?

So, where do you go after seven years of college hoops?

He’s graduating from Cincinnati in May 2025. He’s already hinted that he wants to stay close to the game. Given his "high basketball IQ" (a phrase every coach used to describe him), coaching or scouting feels like the natural path. He’s seen the game from every angle—the star freshman, the injured spectator, and the veteran leader.

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There's also his personal life. He got married in the summer of 2024, so he’s clearly ready for that "adult" chapter to start. He’s done with the 6:00 AM rehab sessions and the constant worry about whether a quick cut is going to result in a pop.

Actionable Takeaways from the CJ Fredrick Story

If you’re a young athlete or a fan watching the CJ Fredrick basketball retirement unfold, there are a few real-world lessons to take away from his journey:

1. Diversify your identity: CJ was always a "basketball player," but his focus on graduating and building relationships at three different schools gave him a safety net when the injuries took over.
2. The "Extra Year" isn't always about the NBA: Many players use the COVID-year and medical redshirts to chase a pro dream. CJ used them to finish his education and leave the game on his own terms, even if his body was screaming at him to stop.
3. Resilience is a skill: You can't control injuries, but you can control your response. CJ’s ability to remain a positive locker room influence while sidelined is why he’ll likely have a job in coaching the moment he wants one.

The "playing part" is over. The "giving back to the game" part? That’s probably just getting started.

If you're looking to follow his next move, keep an eye on the Cincinnati coaching staff or local Ohio/Kentucky basketball circles. Guys with that kind of shooting knowledge don't stay away from the gym for long. He’s already expressed a desire to give back to the sport that "gave him everything," and in the world of college sports, that usually means a whistle around the neck and a clipboard in hand.