Still an early NBA Draft pick, the only Duke basketball pledge from this year’s portal.
This year’s only Duke basketball promise from the portal is still a candidate for the NBA Draft.
Cedric Coward, a 6-foot-6 wing who averaged over 15 points and six rebounds in his last 38 games between his sophomore year at Eastern Washington and his injury-shortened junior campaign at Washington State, was not only invited to next week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, but the Phoenix Suns are also projecting Coward as a first-round pick, according to the most recent mock draft by The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie.
Vecenie wrote, “Coward is my bet for this year’s riser into the first round,” referring to the 21-year-old Fresno, California native who was once a zero-star prep. Maybe this isn’t high enough. Coward only participated in six games this season, but when he did, he was outstanding.I witnessed Coward’s performance in April in Los Angeles, and I can’t stress enough how amazing he was.
His athletic fluidity and balance are exceptional for a 6-6 athlete with a wingspan of about 7-1. With Coward, every link in the kinetic chain is flawless. [Coward] is a wonderful fit [at Duke] if he decides to go. Everything is in one motion, clean with the jumper, and has simple, repeatable mechanics to pair with touch. However, I believe he will demonstrate his worthiness to remain in the draft.
In other words, even though Cedric Coward is dedicated to Jon Scheyer & Co., his recruiting as a basketball player for Duke may not work out.
Five players from the 2024–25 Blue Devil roster, according to Vecenie, will be selected at the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25–26: Sion James to the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 47, Tyrese Proctor to the Detroit Pistons at No. 37, Kon Knueppel to the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 6, Khaman Maluach to the Chicago Bulls at No. 12, and Cooper Flagg to the Washington Wizards at No. 1.
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