There’s no question he can fill it up from three-point range, though, and that’s what he’ll be expected to do when he’s on the court. (He’s also been sidelined by and played through injuries in the past, something to be wary of, especially with him missing much of the preseason). Fredrick has averaged about 27 minutes per game in his college career so far, but he might have trouble reaching that this season. Yet, he’s usually absent from projected starting lineups on a roster that also features impact guards Kellan Grady, Davion Mintz, Sahvir Wheeler and five-star recruit TyTy Washington. He’s also been consistently excellent as a three-point shooter - an area of major need for the Wildcats - going 46.1 percent from deep as a freshman and 47.4 percent as a sophomore. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season, remember). The former Kentucky high school star - and Sweet Sixteen MVP at Rupp in 2018 - started all 52 games he played over the past two seasons for two good Iowa teams (the Hawkeyes were a No. It might be too much to ask to expect that jump this season, but his development should be fun to watch.įredrick’s role in 2021-22: Exactly how John Calipari uses Fredrick will be one of the more interesting story lines this season, especially in the early going. Toppin looks like a player that - at some point - will be able to combine that rare athleticism and natural ability to take a major leap forward. Anything he can add offensively, especially in the halfcourt, will likely be a bonus. He can be an instant-energy guy off the bench and has the length to rebound well and defend multiple positions. With the influx of transfers this offseason and a possible shift toward a more guard-oriented lineup, Toppin could see about the same amount of playing time he did last season (17.1 minutes per game), but he should be better equipped to make a bigger impact with that time in his second year as a Wildcat. Toppin’s next-level athleticism and family ties - he’s the younger brother of former national player of the year Obi Toppin - make him one of the most intriguing players on this Kentucky team. Instead, he took advantage of the NCAA’s willingness to grant immediate eligibility to transfers and ended up showing some promise. Toppin’s role in 2021-22: The original plan when Toppin transferred from Rhode Island last year was that he would make his Kentucky debut this season, after sitting out the 2020-21 campaign to work on adding strength and honing his basketball skills.
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