One of the top remaining players in the transfer portal, guard Cedric Coward from Washington State, committed to the Duke basketball program last night. It's a phenomenal backcourt get for Jon Scheyer and Co., but it's not a guarantee that Coward will actually play for Duke next season.
Coward entered the portal while also declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft. While in the portal, his focus remained on the draft, and he said he would commit to a college before ultimately deciding whether to stay in the NBA Draft or return to college next season.
The senior ultimately chose Duke over Alabama.
Coward has an intriguing decision to make as he's not seen as a top prospect in this summer's draft. Some metrics view the guard as a second-rounder or maybe a late first, but being drafted in the first round is no guarantee for the former Washington State Cougar.
Here's where different networks' mock drafts have Coward slotted as of today:
ESPN - 55th overall to Los Angeles Lakers
Bleacher Report - 49th overall to New York Knicks
HoopsHype - undrafted
Most NBA mock drafts are first-round only selections at the moment, but Coward is no where to be seen on those boards, giving hope that he will ultimately return to Durham next season.
He only played six games for Wazzu in 2024 as he dealt with injury, but put his elite scoring ability on display in that small sample size. Coward averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks a game last season on 55.7% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from three-point range.
Coward is an elite catch-and-shooter while also having the ability to post up down low at 6'6 and 206 pounds. He runs extremely well in transition and has the potential to be one of the best shot-blocking guards in the country next season.
He'd likely start alongside Caleb Foster at the shooting guard spot, giving him space to flourish off-ball as a shooter. And bringing him in with guys like Isaiah Evans and Darren Harris off the bench, the Blue Devils would have one of the best shooting backcourts in college hoops next season.
The deadline for players to withdraw their names from the NBA Draft is June 15th, so it could be some time before we know whether Coward will wear a Duke uniform next season. With how his draft stock looks at this point in time, Blue Devil fans should have serious hope he will be back in college next season.
Coward is ranked as the #14 overall player in the portal and #5 shooting guard per the On3 Transfer Portal Industry Rankings. He began his college career at Division III Willamette University before spending two seasons with Eastern Washington from 2022-24.