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Former Duke Commit Sends Clear Message After Personal Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated May 24, 2025 2:52 PM ET

In a decisive move underscoring his rapid ascent from overlooked Division III prospect to legitimate NBA candidate, Cedric Coward took to Instagram on Saturday, posting a series of training images clad in a "Life Sports Agency" outfit at the UCLA Health Training Center in Los Angeles.

The caption, "Live, Love, Laugh, Learn. God will lead the way! #keepgoing #tmc," accompanied footage of Coward sharpening his skills while preparing for the next level.

Just hours before the post, Coward confirmed to ESPN that he will forgo the opportunity to suit up for the Duke Blue Devils and keep his name in the 2025 NBA Draft.

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A post shared by Cedric Coward (@cedriccoward)

Originally committed to Duke at the end of April, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard had planned to join the Blue Devils roster for the 2025-26 college basketball season.

Instead, he has elected to remain in the draft, confident that his combine performances and pre-draft workouts have elevated his stock into the mid-to-late first-round conversation.

"This is the best opportunity for me to achieve part of my dream, which is making the NBA," Coward told ESPN on Saturday. "Everything is pointing in the right direction right now to follow that.”

As a freshman at Division III Willamette University in 2021-22, Coward averaged 19.4 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, earning Northwest Conference Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-Northwest Conference honors.

Seeking greater challenges, he transferred to Eastern Washington, where over two seasons he developed into a first-team All-Big Sky selection in 2024 after averaging 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

His final collegiate stop was at Washington State, where he averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 blocks per game before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury six games into the 2024-25 campaign.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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