Cedric Coward, a young gifted basketball prospect, surprised the world with a statement move. He will stay in the 2025 NBA draft and forego the opportunity to play at Duke next year. The decision comes after a stunning predraft process. Coward’s stock has skyrocketed, bringing him from a fringe prospect to a projected first-round pick. He was just named the No. 30 overall pick by ESPN in their most recent mock draft.
During the NBA draft combine, Coward displayed his incredible physical gifts, registering a monster 7-foot-2¼ wingspan. In addition, he registered an impressive 38½ inch max vertical leap, showcasing his overall athleticism and vast potential on the hardwood. What really blew everyone away was his shooting ability. He performed well in the drills, hitting 71% of all his attempts, ranking top among his peers.
Besides his combine performance, Coward hosted a pretty widely attended pro day in Los Angeles. At this showcase, near the height of his reclassification hype cycle, he showed out with elite physical tools, perimeter shooting and overall conditioning. His stunning performance turned the eyes of lots of NBA teams. He even hired out private one-on-one workouts like the one he had for just the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Coward put his best foot forward in front of seven other NBA teams in Los Angeles. Despite limited numbers, this performance cemented his status as one of the most highly regarded prospects golding.
Coward’s road to this moment has certainly not been easy. The 21-year-old senior will be making his second start for Washington State after transferring there this year. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what he then needed to redshirt after suffering a partially torn shoulder labrum just six games into the season. Prior to his injury, he exhibited jaw-dropping statistics. He averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks a night, all while shooting 40% from deep.
Despite these disappointments, Coward remains confident about his future in professional basketball. He expressed confidence in his decision to enter the draft, stating, “This is the best opportunity for me to achieve part of my dream, which is making the NBA.” He noted that his time at Duke was significant: “Even though I am staying in the draft, I picked Duke for a reason.”
Coward believes that NBA teams have recognized his growth since his injury, stating, “NBA teams learned that the injury wasn’t a setback. I got better and became more profound in all the different details of my game. I improved tremendously in aspects that I needed to work on, which showed in my athletic testing and shooting. I’m stronger mentally, physically and emotionally now.”
Coward, meanwhile, is still looking ahead to the next draft. He’ll be cleared for full-contact activity on June 14. As perfect timing would have it, he can use this time to keep improving his prep as he goes through the last few weeks of the predraft process.
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