Over 11 recruiting cycles, Fran McCaffery has a track record of identifying talent and playing them immediately. Six freshmen have made Big Ten all-freshmen teams. Only Indiana has more, and they’re doing it with elite talent.
The most recent addition to the six-pack is CJ Fredrick. The only way Kentucky recruit could have been easier for Fran to join him as a Hawkeye was if they lived in the same home. Fredrick’s uncle, Joe, played for Notre Dame while McCaffery assisted Digger Phelps and the connection proved important. CJ committed even before Iowa had a scholarship available for 2018.