Former Washington State guard Cedric Coward commits to Duke men’s basketball

In Duke’s first portal move of the offseason, 6-foot-6 Washington State graduate transfer Cedric Coward announced his commitment April 28 via Instagram.

Coward comes to Durham after playing just six games in one season in Pullman, Wash. The Fresno, Calif., native entered the 2024 season on the preseason all-WCC team before suffering a torn labrum, which required surgery to repair and ended his season. In his six games, Coward shot 55.7% from the field, averaging 17.7 points and seven rebounds to go along with a total of 10 blocks and 22 assists.

He is still declared for the NBA Draft and will need to exit before officially transferring to Duke.

Prior to his transfer to Washington State, Coward spent two seasons at Eastern Washington, starting 34 games. He averaged 7.3 points per game as a sophomore, then 15.4 points as a junior, good for a spot on the Big Sky All-Conference first team. He also tallied 27 steals as a sophomore and 215 rebounds and 30 blocks as a junior.

Coward began his college career at Division III Willamette University, where he ranked second in the nation with 19 double-doubles, including 15 in a row to end the season.

Now recovered from his injury, Coward brings an elite scoring ability, clear hustle and defensive drive to a Blue Devil team looking to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament. He is set to join rising junior Caleb Foster and incoming recruit Cayden Boozer in a backcourt looking for a veteran presence, with the departure of several 2024-25 Blue Devils to the NBA Draft.

The deadline for college players to withdraw their names from the draft and maintain their eligibility is May 28. Coward is currently projected to be a late first-round pick or early second-round selection.

Here’s a breakdown of Coward’s history in college basketball and what he could provide for the Blue Devils.