Not only did Cedric Coward receive an invite to next week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, but the recent Duke basketball commit out of Washington State is also a projected first-rounder, according to the latest mock draft courtesy of The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie.
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Vecenie forecasts Coward, a 6-foot-6 wing who has averaged over 15 points and six rebounds across his past 38 outings between his sophomore year at Eastern Washington and injury-shortened junior campaign at Washington State, to hear his name at No. 29 overall to the Phoenix Suns.
“Coward is my bet for this year’s riser into the first round,” Vecenie noted about the 21-year-old from Fresno, Calif., a former zero-star prep. “This might not be high enough. Coward only played six games this year, but he was lights out in those appearances…I saw Coward work out in Los Angeles in April, and it’s hard to overemphasize just how impressive he was.
“His balance and fluidity athletically are special for a player who is 6-6 with a 7-1 or so wingspan. Everything in the kinetic chain with Coward is perfect. Everything is in one motion and clean with the jumper, with easy, repeatable mechanics to pair with touch…[Coward] is a perfect fit [at Duke] if he chooses to attend. But my opinion is that he will prove himself worthy of staying in the draft.”
In other words, the Duke basketball recruitment of Cedric Coward may turn out to be unsuccessful despite his commitment to Jon Scheyer & Co.
Meanwhile, Vecenie sees five members of the 2024-25 Blue Devil roster coming off the board at the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25-26: Cooper Flagg to the Washington Wizards at No. 1 overall, Kon Knueppel to the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 6, Khaman Maluach to the Chicago Bulls at No. 12, Tyrese Proctor to the Detroit Pistons at No. 37, and Sion James to the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 47.
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