Cedric Coward is staying in the 2025 NBA Draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who spoke with Coward on May 24.
Coward, a 21-year-old Washington State transfer who committed to Duke basketball on April 28, is projected to be a first-round pick after a strong showing at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
May 28 is the deadline for players to withdraw from the draft and maintain their college eligibility.
A 6-foot-6, 206-pound wing from Washington State, Coward was on track to be one of the top players in college basketball during the 2024-25 season before a shoulder injury ended his senior year after six games. In those six games, Coward averaged 17.7 points, 7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and nearly 2 blocks.
He shot 56% from the floor, including 40% from 3-point range, and made 84% of his free throws. A two-time transfer who started his career at Division III Willamette University in Oregon, Coward averaged 19.4 points and 12 rebounds per game as a freshman. He set a school record with 67 blocks and was second among DIII players with 19 double-doubles, including 15 in a row to end his first year of college hoops.
That success led him to Eastern Washington, where he spent two seasons as an All-Big Sky player for the Eagles. After averaging 7.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 21.6 minutes in his first year, Coward boosted those numbers to 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per game as a junior.
Here’s what Coward’s decision means for Duke basketball in the 2025-26 season.
Jon Scheyer, Duke basketball prepared for Cedric Coward to stay in NBA Draft
Coward likely would have been a starter for Duke in the 2025-26 season, sliding in as arguably the Blue Devils’ top two-way threat on the wing. But the increasing chatter about Coward’s movement on draft boards prompted head coach Jon Scheyer to adjust.
The work in the last month led to the commitments of international prospect Dame Sarr and top-30 recruit Sebastian Wilkins, a pair of players in the 2025 class that boost Scheyer’s latest top-ranked group at Duke. Sarr projects as a starter on the wing for the Blue Devils, with Wilkins expected to provide frontcourt depth off the bench.
Cameron and Cayden Boozer, along with Nikolas Khamenia, are the other recruits in Duke’s 2025 class. The Blue Devils’ five incoming freshmen join a group of returners headlined by Isaiah Evans, Caleb Foster, Maliq Brown, Patrick Ngongba and Darren Harris.
Despite Coward’s choice to keep his name in the draft, Duke has a top-10 roster capable of repeating as champions of the ACC and consecutive berths in the Final Four.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them torbaxley@fayobserver.com.