NBA Draft: Washington State's Cedric Coward Flying Under-the-Radar

After transferring to Washington State from Eastern Washington, following his head coach David Riley across the state to Pullman, Cougars wing/forward Cedric Coward got off to a hot start with his new team. Over the eight games he played before being injured, he averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 56% from the field.

At 6-foot-6, 205 pounds, Coward demonstrated a myriad of skills that could translate to the NBA level. Shooting 40% from three and 84% from the line, Coward is the type of player that can impact the game from the perimeter, and when he occasionally plays the four, can spread the floor for his team. His rebounding prowess helps lend credence to the theory that he can play the power forward position in the NBA despite not being big for his position. He's physical and multitalented on the offensive end, one of the more versatile players being looked at as second-round prospect.

Coward is a junior college product that played two seasons at Eastern before joining the Cougars, and was, before his injury, their best player, leading the team in scoring and rebounding while being top three in assists. His defense was solid, too, though he is known more as an offensive player than a two-way wing or forward.

Projecting forward for the NBA, it seems Coward is more of a wing than a power forward because of his size limitations, but can be an effective perimeter player because of his shooting prowess and underrated ability to facilitate the offense as a connective passer. His handle is decent and he can occasionally attack the basket off the bounce, which is only aided by his three-point shot in that he can attack closeouts and give himself some more room to operate on the way to the rim.

While Coward is not a huge name at this point, it is possible he goes within the top 40 picks of the 2025 NBA Draft – or, at least, has the talent and ability to be worth a pick in that 30-40 range. He is an upperclassman, but recently, an influx of older players have played very well in the NBA, players like Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey. Will Coward be the next productive upperclassman taken in the second round like Wells was? He certainly has the potential to be.