It’s officially official: Cedric Coward won’t play a basketball game for the Duke Blue Devils after all.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported on Saturday that Coward, who committed to the Blue Devils from Washington State through the transfer portal last month, would remain in the 2025 NBA draft rather than return to school for a fifth collegiate season.
The Cameron Crazies likely came to terms with Coward’s departure during the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month when the 6-foot-6 small forward tested out of the gym. With a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a career 38.6% 3-point percentage, Coward has moved firmly into first-round consideration despite a shoulder injury that limited him to six games with the Cougars in 2024-25.
Coward averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 0.8 steals in his limited work at Washington State last season. He made at least 56% of his shots and 38% of his triples in each of his prior two campaigns with Eastern Washington, a blend of efficiency and athleticism that NBA scouting departments would always struggle to turn down.
Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer, likely anticipating Coward’s decision, found reinforcements along the recruiting trail earlier this week. The Blue Devils reeled in a commitment from four-star Italian guard Dame Sarr on Thursday and another from four-star power forward Sebastian Wilkins, who was originally a 2026 prospect before reclassifying to arrive in Durham this fall, on Friday.