Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils are retooling their roster.
In their first move of the offseason transfer portal, Duke secured a commitment from 6-foot-6 Washington State graduate, who announced his decision on April 28 via Instagram.
He heads to Durham after appearing in just six games last season with Washington State. The Fresno, California native was named to the preseason All-WCC team for 2024 but suffered a torn labrum that required surgery and sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Despite the limited action, Coward impressed by shooting 55.7% from the field while averaging 17.7 points, seven rebounds, 10 blocks, and 22 assists.
He remains in the NBA Draft pool and must withdraw before officially joining the Blue Devils.
Before transferring to Washington State, Cedric Coward played two seasons at Eastern Washington, where he started 34 games. He posted 7.3 points per game as a sophomore and boosted that to 15.4 as a junior, earning a spot on the Big Sky All-Conference First Team. He also recorded 27 steals in his sophomore season and totaled 215 rebounds and 30 blocks as a junior.
Coward began his collegiate journey at Division III Willamette University, where he made an immediate impact by finishing second in the nation with 19 double-doubles—including an impressive stretch of 15 straight to close the season.
Now fully recovered from his injury, Coward brings a dynamic scoring touch, relentless hustle, and strong defensive instincts to a Duke squad aiming for another deep NCAA Tournament run. He’s expected to provide leadership and experience in the backcourt alongside rising junior Caleb Foster and top recruit Cayden Boozer, helping to fill the void left by several Blue Devils departing for the NBA.