With the 2024–25 college basketball season in the books, it’s officially Transfer Portal and NBA Draft season. That also means the start of Split The Action's offseason coverage, which will feature player evaluations and scouting reports — particularly focused on players returning to or transferring into ACC programs — along with in-depth pieces on team-building and roster construction.

One of the the most talented players currently in the portal is wing Cedric Coward. It’s been an unlikely path for Coward, who started his college career at a small school in the Pacific Northwest and is now coveted transfer portal recruit and NBA Draft prospect.

Coward played the 2021-22 season at Division III Willamette University, where he averaged 19.4 points and 12 rebounds per game and was named Northwest Conference Freshman of the Year. At the time, David Riley was the head coach at Eastern Washington. Riley, who played his college ball at Whitworth, another NWC school, pulled Coward up to the Division I ranks.

In his second season at Eastern Washington, Coward made a major jump, emerging as a true impact player. He averaged 15.4 points per game, while adding 215 rebounds and 30 blocks — showcasing his all-around game and physical tools. With his blend of size, athleticism and production, Coward firmly entered the conversation as a legitimate NBA prospect. So when head coach David Riley accepted the Washington State job — following Kyle Smith’s departure to Stanford — Coward made the move with him.

Unfortunately, after getting off to an excellent start to the 2024-25 season, Coward suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. While Coward’s primary focus is preparing for the 2025 Draft, he’s emerged as as a potential Blue Chip portal prospect, too. According to reports, he’s narrowed the list of schools he’s considering down to two programs — Duke and Alabama, who met in the Elite Eight last month.

While these three options loom in the air — Durham, Tuscaloosa or the draft — let’s take a deeper look at Coward: his two-way potential, how he impacts the game and what a potential role could look like for him as he gets set for another jump in competition.

The Build

Despite starting his journey in Division III, Coward boasts the athletic tools of an NBA wing. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 205 pounds, he brings a blend of size, length and mobility that’s highly sought after by top college programs and pro teams alike.

With a prototypical wingspan, quick feet and active hands, Coward is a fluid, coordinated athlete who uses his frame to finish through contact, crash the boards and make an impact on the defensive end.

The Shot

Throughout his college career, Coward has been a model of shooting efficiency from every level of the floor, posting an impressive 66.8 percent effective field goal percentage on 524 attempts. He shoots effortlessly from deep, with a smooth, compact gather that makes his release consistent and repeatable. Off the catch, he generates solid lift on his jumper, and his high release — aided by his long arms — allows him to shoot comfortably over closeouts and contests.

Over his two years with Eastern Washington, Coward shot 60.0 percent from the floor and 38.6 percent from deep. During the 2023–24 season at EWU, Coward took a significant leap as a shooter — particularly in volume. 3-point attempts accounted for 41 percent of his total shots, a jump from just 23.7 percent the previous year. He connected on 38.3 percent of those looks from deep and shot just under 90 percent from the free-throw line. As a result, Coward led the Big Sky Conference in both true shooting percentage (67.7 TS%) and effective field goal percentage (64.4 eFG%).

In six games with Washington State in the 2024-25 season, Coward scored 106 points on 61 field goal attempts, including 12-of-30 shooting from beyond the arc (40 3P%).

Due to his footwork and lower-body strength, Coward is confident shooting on the move. Whether he's relocating along the perimeter, curling off screens or flying into handoffs, he brings explosive energy to a variety of actions, maintaining balance and rhythm in his shot.

On this possession, Coward initiates early offense. As the action unfolds, Washington State flows into its staggered motion screening actions. Coward comes off the double down screens and drills an open 3-ball. This is textbook screen usage and shot prep.

Defenders must honor Coward’s 3-point shot with hard closeouts, which can open up catch-and-go opportunities. With his defender running out at him or pressed up on the ball, Coward can look to slash and either get all the way to the rim or rhythm up for an off-dribble jumper.

The high release point is a bonus in Coward’s midrange game, too. Coward doesn’t have to generate big separation to get to his pull-up. He can be in traffic and still just rise over the top of the closest defender.

Coward starts on the right wing and does a beautiful job here walking his defender down the floor before cutting back toward the ball. His bend and lateral flexibility are on display as he explodes into the dribble-handoff (DHO). This forces a switch from the Northern Colorado defenders. Coward turns the corner and draws a second defender — but instead of forcing the issue into help, he decelerates and rises up for a fadeaway jumper over his primary defender.

These are all positive shooting indicators for Coward: the increase in 3-point attempt volume, free throw percentage and midrange touch off of movement. Going forward, Coward projects as a 3-and-D wing who can guard different positions and do some stuff with the ball in his hands, too.

Secondary Playmaking

Coward has a strong feel for the game, which shows in his flashes of connective playmaking. Whether in transition or in the half-court, he keeps the ball moving and makes quick, smart decisions that help build and sustain offensive advantages.

From the 2023-24 season with EWU: Coward starts this possession down in the post, near the right block. Coward slides to the left dunker spot as the Eagles clear out the right side for a backdoor cut from the strong-side corner. The cutter passes to Coward in the paint and the North Dakota State defenders swarm him with a double team. Coward could try to finish at the cup, but he receives the pass at an awkward angle. Instead of taking a tough shot, Coward spins away from the double and finds a second cutter sprinting down the middle of the lane.

The layup attempt is missed, but his pass produces a high-percentage look at the hoop. While Coward doesn’t create the initial advantage, as the ball is funneled through him, he capitalizes on the defense being in rotation and finds an open teammate. According to CBB Analytics, 82.2 percent of Coward’s assists in the 2023-24 season resulted in rim finishes or 3-pointers.

Here against Iowa: the Cougars are back in their staggered motion offense. Coward makes the pass to Ethan Price (3) coming off the staggered down screens. Price misses the open 3-point attempt, but the long rebound lands in the hands of Coward. On the second-chance opportunity, Price makes a basket cut and Coward picks him out as Iowa’s defense scrambles to recover.

Coward has a career defensive rebound rate of 19.3 percent, according to Bart Torvik, including plenty of out-of-area and contested rebounds. In the transition game, Coward can turn those rebounds into quick scoring opportunities as a grab-and-go playmaker.

Starting this possession on the defensive side of the floor, Coward applies a good contest on a late-clock 3-point attempt — getting over the DHO and sticking a hand in the shooter’s face. Coward scoops up the defensive rebound and is immediately off to the races, creating a 3-on-2 fast-break. The transition defense packs the paint and stops the ball, which leaves Nate Calmese (8), a recent Wake Forest addition, open on the wing. Coward makes the simple play and kicks out to Calmese for a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer.

Coward is also a willing hit-ahead passer, consistently looking to advance the ball in transition. After a turnover against Iowa, he quickly turns a loose ball recovery into an offensive opportunity — firing an off-hand pass that hits Calmese in stride, allowing him to attack a retreating defense.

Seydou Traore (7) makes a great play to track back and block Calmese’s layup attempt, but this play demonstrates how Coward can impact so many different facets of a transition offense — starting with his defense and flowing into live-ball playmaking opportunities.

Pick-and-roll

While Coward isn’t a primary ball handler, he’s more than capable of operating in pick-and-roll situations. At 6-foot-6 with a functional handle, he can initiate out of ball screens, proving he's not limited to just off-ball spacing.

Under Riley at both Eastern Washington and Washington State, Coward was effective in early-offense pick-and-rolls — whether it was drag actions with bigs setting screens or guard-to-guard “Pistol” actions, he consistently created advantages.

Here, Coward uses a subtle lefty hang dribble into a crossover, rejecting the empty-side drag screen. As he turns the corner and drives downhill, the defense rotates over. Despite the pressure, Coward displays strong body control, hanging in the air and finishing in the paint.

Matched up against Northern Colorado: Coward rejects another empty-corner ball screen in early offense, spinning away from the pick and into a Barkley-style drive against the smaller Zach Bloch (11), a 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard. Coward backs Bloch down from the arc to the low post and scores with a quick jumper over the defender.

Here’s another drag ball screen on the left side of the floor. Coward flashes the lefty hang dribble and rejects the screen from ND Okafor (22) — driving toward the baseline. As Coward skates around Payton Sanfort (20), he gets into the paint and collapses the Iowa defense. There’s some nice manipulation here from Coward, too, as he draws multiple defenders and gets the low-man helper, Pryce Sandfort (24), to leave his feet, creating the open cut opportunity and a drop-off pass to Price.

Once again, Coward uses a lefty hang dribble to attack off a drag ball screen in early offense. This time, he uses the pick to drive right, drawing a second defender. With two defenders on the ball, Coward probes the defense and kicks out for an open pick-and-pop 3-point look.

A possession later, Coward repeats the same move. This time, though, he uses the hang dribble to drive downhill toward the middle of the floor — with his left hand — rather than crossing over to his right. He attacks the rim and draws a foul.

When Coward operates Pistol action — with the early ball screen coming from a guard teammate — it allows him to leverage his size and physicality. These essentially turn into inverted pick-and-rolls for Coward, putting pressure on the defense. When the guard sets a screen or runs a ghost screen with Coward, it forces the defense to react: should they switch onto him with a smaller defender, or attempt to show and recover?

As Isaiah Watts (12) lines up to run Pistol action with Coward, he fakes the guard-guard screen and ghosts out toward the top of the key. Northern Colorado chooses to switch the action: The 6-foot-4, 223-pound Marcell McCreary (42) switches off Coward to guard Watts, leaving the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Jaron Rillie (9) on Coward.

Coward wastes no time against the smaller Rillie. He quickly goes to work with a Barkley-style drive, methodically advancing the ball toward the rim before finishing with a drop-step layup.

Coward doesn’t get a ball screen on this possession, but guard Parker Gerrits (10) sets a flare screen for him in transition. This forces the Bears to switch onto Coward as LeJuan Watts (4) skips the ball to the left wing.

As soon as Coward gets the switch, he quickly initiates with another Barkley-style move. With the defense packed in, he takes advantage by skipping the ball to the weak-side wing for an open catch-and-shoot 3-pointer.

If the defense chooses to show or hedge and recover, as Bradley does on this possession, Coward is able to make quick decisions and deliver sharp pocket passes to the roller in space.

When the defense keeps the ball in front, Coward is comfortable passing it off and transitioning into two-man action. Once he gives up the ball, he doesn’t become passive; instead, he immediately engages in his movement game.

Here, as the initial empty-side ball screen is bottled up, Coward outlets to Price and then sprints into a handoff, which allows him to attack the screen with a little momentum. Once again, Coward shows off his strength, high release and shooting touch.

There’s a good pace to his creation efforts. When Coward recognizes drop coverage, with the screener’s defender a few feet below the pick, he patiently attacks the available space.

Even before the pick-and-pop occurs, Coward demonstrates his ability to effortlessly manipulate the ball — palming it before swinging through to initiate his downhill drive. He takes the ball deep into the lane, and with two defenders collapsing on him, Dane Erikstrup (32) is left open for the pop.

Here’s more of that strength on display as Coward attacks the drop coverage. Coward keeps his defender attached to his hip and then gets to his spot for a short pull-up 2-pointer.

On this possession, Washington State runs “Spain” pick-and-roll for Coward. As Watts sets the back pick on Langston Reynolds (6), Coward patiently waits before driving downhill with his left. Coward shows impressive burst and stride length here, blowing past the initial on-ball defender and then creating separation in the final third of the floor by stepping around the screen defender.

Early Initiation and Attacking 1-on-1

Coward is an opportunistic initiator, often looking to push the ball in early offense and exploit cross-matches. In these situations, he can dribble into favorable mismatches against smaller defenders. From these positions, Coward is a threat to attack the paint or operate as a passing hub

Coward can also use these moments to get two defenders on the ball without using a screen.

Once again, Coward backs down Bloch, drawing help from Isaiah Hawthorne (23) and leaving Erikstrup open on the left wing. With Hawthorne pulled over, Coward kicks it out to Erikstrup, who capitalizes with a catch-and-go finish

By turning his back to the basket, Coward is able to better protect the ball from his defender. As effective as these perimeter backdowns are, they also highlight Coward’s ball-handling — which is improving, but still susceptible to pressure from quicker guard defenders when he tries to attack in spacing while facing the rim.

Coward isolates against a switch on the left wing, possibly looking to target Okafor with a post-entry pass. But after picking up his dribble, he’s immediately pressured by a defender. Stuck with no dribble and no teammates cutting quickly to relieve pressure, Coward turns it over.

When he trusts his handle, though, it’s functional enough for Coward to slash into some tighter windows.

On this drive, Coward gets away with a hook, but the reverse finish is made possible by an impressive live-dribble tightrope along the baseline.

There are also moments when Coward’s live-dribble, 1-on-1 interior play-finishing doesn’t quite hold up against strong contests from bulkier opponents.

For instance, here he’s matched up in early offense against a slower but physical defender. He makes a strong attempt to attack the gap but can’t fully turn the corner. As he elevates to finish at the rim, he’s bumped off his axis, leading to an awkward miss.

That said, Coward was 14-of-17 on attempts at the rim (82.3 FG%) in six games this season, per CBB Analytics. He also shot 4-of-7 on 2-point attempts in the paint but outside the restricted area.

Coward’s offensive versatility is on full display on this possession. He begins by rejecting an empty-side ball screen and inverting the offense with another inside-out post-up. When Bradley shows help, Coward kicks it back out. Washington State then flows into 5-out “Blast” action — Watts cuts into the paint as Coward sprints up from the right corner into a dribble handoff. Bradley switches the handoff, putting Darius Hannah (35), an impressive frontcourt athlete (39 dunks, 77.5 FG% at the rim) and top-tier mid-major prospect, on Coward. Coward uses a quick combo move with his handle to get past Hannah and into the gap

In a limited sample, Coward drew 5.1 fouls per 40 minutes across his six games with the Cougars. However, only three of those were shooting fouls. Of the 28 fouls Coward drew, 25 occurred on the floor, according to CBB Analytics.

Post Game

Coward is clearly comfortable initiating isolation and post-ups from the perimeter, but he can also work off the ball to create space in the lane.

On this possession, Coward fights for position in the post for over 10 seconds before receiving a pass on a deep seal. After the catch, he takes a dribble to close the distance to the hoop and showcases his skill — using a shimmy move into a shot fake to unbalance his defender, then rising up for a jumper just outside the lane.

According to CBB Analytics, Coward shot 56.3 percent on 2-point attempts from outside of the restricted area during the 2023-24 season with EWU. That year, he also shot 76.5 percent at the rim.

(Shot chart via CBB Analytics)

Here, Coward looks to initiate a Barkley drive against Iowa. After his initial attempt is stymied, he passes the ball out, then quickly re-posts with solid positioning. Coward finishes with a hook shot off the glass over the 6-foot-7 Sandfort.

Despite playing just 198 minutes this season, Coward’s post game traveled across the Apple State from Cheney to Pullman. He’s an intuitive finisher who understands angles and positions his body well to capitalize as an interior scorer.

Similar to some of his downhill finishes, Coward cleverly uses the rim to shield off potential shot-blockers with reverse finishes.

As Erikstrup works on the right block, Coward opts not to space to the left wing. Instead, he cuts to the paint and posts up as well. While this isn’t ideal from a spacing perspective, it creates a post-to-post passing opportunity when Erikstrup spins middle and Coward quickly ducks in.

This type of offensive play-finishing is intriguing, especially as 5-out offenses continue to evolve in the sport. It’s a clever spacing wrinkle for teams that play 5-out and have guards capable of finishing around the basket and making plays from the dunker spot — similar to Duke with Sion James this season, or Jrue Holiday and Derrick White with the Boston Celtics.

With multiple stretch bigs, Wazzu could seamlessly invert its offense and space the floor around Coward’s post-ups. In these situations, when Coward draws two defenders in the post, he becomes a savvy all-court passer, capable of reading multiple defensive rotations and quickly finding open teammates.

Team Defense

On the defensive end, Coward offers multi-positional versatility, capable of switching up or down. He can guard on the perimeter, battle in the post and also make an impact on the defensive glass

Northern Colorado runs “Ram” pick-and-roll action against Washington State. Coward’s man lifts up to set the ball screen, which the Cougars switch. Coward stays in front of the guard, but as the ball swings back to the forward popping out for a 3-point look, Wazzu’s defense is compromised. Gerrits (10) is late closing out on Hawthorne (23), who shot fakes and drives. However, Coward makes a second effort, peeling in and switching back to Hawthorne mid-drive.

As the shot goes up, Coward boxes out and tracks the long rebound perfectly, snagging a contested carom from outside his area.

Next, Bradley runs a back screen and shuffle cut into 5-out “Zoom” action on this possession. (Zoom action involves a down screen for a player who then runs into and receives the ball off a dribble handoff.) Coward begins the play guarding the Bradley player in the left corner, who will use the Zoom action, running off the down screen and receiving the ball as he exits the handoff.

Coward chases his initial assignment around the down screen, but Wazzu then switches the handoff action, placing Coward on Almar Atlason (1) in the post. Hannah has a good angle to toss in an entry pass to Atlason, the pride of Iceland, but the offering is too slow. Coward sees it coming and jumps the entry pass, deflecting it out for a steal.

Beyond his switchability, Coward possesses the defensive instincts and athletic traits to be an impactful team defender — making the right rotations and providing strong back-line rim protection.

Coward is long, quick off his feet, and plays with fast hands. He covers ground at a high clip and is a constant deterrent at the rim, while also being a menace in both the driving and passing lanes. With his arms often outstretched, Coward is consistently surveying the offense when off the ball. He’s always looking to take away potential pathways to the basket and make things difficult for the opposing offense.

As North Dakota tries to attack EWU’s defense, Coward is there to put out multiple fires. First, he helps curtail an initial drive into the paint. That’s followed by an outstanding piece of rim protection as he rejects a catch-and-go drive in front of the basket.

According to Bart Torvik’s data, Coward has a career block rate of 3.7 percent and a steal rate of 1.8 percent. He’s also comfortable blocking shots with either hand.

Even when he doesn’t record the block, Coward alters shots in the paint with his timing and his willingness to challenge guys.

These instances of weak-side rim protection and back-line rotations allow the defense to more comfortably put two defenders on the ball and hedge ball screens, knowing Coward is lurking behind the play. This is one of the many qualities that makes wings like Coward so valuable: he enhances a team’s overall lineup versatility and schematic flexibility.

Of course, not all of Coward’s defensive flashes will register a counting statistic. That said, the stuff he does as a help defender jumps out in his film.

Northern Colorado pushes in transition on this possession, but Coward hustles back and manages to stop the ball. McCreary passes out to an open Quinn Denker (5) on the wing. Denker attacks a closeout from Erikstrup, and Coward responds by sliding over to contain the drive. The ball is swung around the paint, and Coward is there to help against Reynolds in the post.

Coward defends three players in the span of 10 seconds, corrals two separate drives and then keeps Reynolds off the offensive glass, allowing Watts to fly in and secure the defensive rebound.

On-ball Defense

While Coward provides more value as a team defender, he is also highly effective in on-ball and chase situations: defending in isolation, guarding at the point of attack in pick-and-roll, and trailing players through off-ball screening actions.

Coward is quick enough laterally to slide and stay in front of would-be drivers, but he also relies heavily on his length to disrupt plays.

With his long arms, Coward can sneak his hands into the proverbial cookie jar, even when the ball seems secure, catching the offensive player off guard.

Coward doesn’t get the steal on this possession, but he blows up an empty-side step-up screen for Bradley, deflecting the ball out as the guard attempts to dribble off the screen.

However, Coward is susceptible to dribble drives. He isn’t the stickiest on-ball defender, nor is he an airtight screen navigator. Offensive players can attack his top foot, getting him off balance and neutralizing his athletic advantages.

For instance, Coward closes out with high hands to deny a potential catch-and-shoot jumper. As he attempts to funnel the driver away from the middle and toward the sideline, Coward’s right foot rises. In that moment, he forfeits his positioning, and the driver blows by him for an easy layup.

Coward is at the point of attack on this possession with Washington State in its defensive shell. What happens next is too easy for the offense: with a quick right-to-left crossover, Coward is beaten. The EWU guard gains inside leverage and blows by him for a layup. Without a ball screen or a pass, Coward manages to give up a straight-line drive to the rim.

When he’s locked in, Coward brings a serious defensive presence in a variety of contexts. However, even in the closing minutes of a blowout win, defenders shouldn’t concede these types of drives.

Defense is all about habits and communication. While these types of breakdowns aren’t common in his game, for Coward to take the next step, he’ll need to refine his 1-on-1 defense.

Shot, Chaser

Coward’s defensive range and reach make him a potent off-ball chaser. His motor runs hot, keeping him engaged as he stays attached to offensive players running off screens. After a catch, Coward uses his length to disrupt shooters.

Iowa runs staggered pindowns for Sandfort on this possession. Coward glides over the top of both screens, denying any easy daylight for a 6-foot-7 shooter with 271 career 3-pointers. As Sandfort lifts to shoot, Coward is right there with him, ready to swat a 3-point attempt.

Despite playing in only six games, Coward finished second on Washington State’s roster with two blocks on 3-point attempts.

During the 2023-24 season, Coward blocked 1.1 2-point attempts per 40 minutes. He finished the season with five blocks on opponent 3-point attempts, too: 0.2 per 40 minutes (94th percentile nationally).

And then there were two…sorta

As Coward continues to recover from his shoulder injury and explore NBA opportunities, it’s no surprise that Duke and Alabama are the finalists among his college options.

Both programs are elite, consistently making deep postseason runs and developing players for the NBA. They’ve also proven to be strong landing spots for veteran transfer portal players looking to elevate their games late in their college careers. But what makes Coward’s potential role even more compelling goes beyond just that.

The Blue Devils and Crimson Tide both frequently switch 1-4 defensively, and even 1-5 at times — making Coward’s versatility and physical tools a natural fit.

Offensively, his shot selection and scalability align well with the systems employed by both programs. Jon Scheyer and Nate Oats run offenses that borrow a lot from the NBA, too, which should have some appeal for Coward as well.

(Coward’s shot chart from his six games with Washington State, via CBB Analytics.)

Coward can play both on and off the ball, operate in a variety of actions and spots on the floor, and has shown the ability to scale his offensive role up or down, adapting to team needs and the level of competition.

Moreover, Coward takes the majority of his shots either at the rim or from beyond the arc. According to CBB Analytics, over 74 percent of his combined field goal attempts across two seasons at Eastern Washington were either 3-pointers or rim attempts. That trend continued at Washington State, where 77 percent of his shots came from those same areas.

In this new era of player movement, nothing is guaranteed. Still, if Coward chooses to return for another season of college basketball, he projects as a plug-and-play contributor for either Duke or Alabama.