Jon Scheyer and Duke basketball have landed their first commitment from the transfer portal ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Washington State transfer Cedric Coward announced his commitment to the Blue Devils in an Instagram post on April 28, writing “I think Blue is my color!” with a photo of him in a Duke jersey.
“I’m excited to be joining the Duke family! Thank you to Coach Scheyer and the entire staff for believing in me. I truly believe God has led me to Duke, just as He has led Duke to me. I will also be keeping my name in the NBA Draft to continue testing the waters.”
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.
Cedric Coward injury, college stats
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. The Fresno, Calif. native reportedly narrowed his list of schools to Duke and Alabama before picking the Blue Devils.
How Cedric Coward fits with Cameron Boozer, Duke basketball
With his combination of size, athleticism and production, Cedric Coward has a chance to slide into Duke’s starting lineup if he withdraws his name from the NBA Draft. If he can return to his pre-injury form as a consistent scorer, rebounder and impact defender, Coward could instantly become one of the top players in the ACC.
Coward made 13 of 33 shots (39.4%) from 3-point range in his sophomore season at Eastern Washington. He attempted 126 shots from beyond the arc as a junior, making 36.5% of those treys to maintain his reputation as a smooth, knockdown shooter. Before his season-ending injury at Washington State last season, Coward made 40% of his 30 attempts from deep.
A career 84% free-throw shooter, Coward has consistently shown an ability to get to the line as a willing attacker. He could be the ideal 3-and-D wing for Scheyer’s Blue Devils as a plug-and-play starter alongside five-star freshman Cameron Boozer and Duke’s new lineup.
Nikolas Khamenia and Cayden Boozer round out Duke’s latest class of incoming freshmen. The Blue Devils didn’t lose a rotation player to the transfer portal, but each of their five starters from the Final Four are preparing for the NBA Draft. Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach are projected to be top-10 picks on June 25 in Brookyln.
Caleb Foster, Isaiah Evans, Maliq Brown and Patrick Ngongba are among Duke’s top returners in the rotation. Still, Coward projects as a player who will be expected to be a major contributor with major minutes for the Blue Devils.
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 to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
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