Not every player’s path to the NBA is the same. That is certainly true for Washington State’s Cedric Coward. He began his collegiate career in Division III and could be a lottery pick this month.
Coward began his career at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. His talent level was far better than Division III, and Coward transferred to Eastern Washington. He played two seasons in the Big Sky Conference before transferring to Washington State for his senior year in 2024-25. Coward had an explosive draft combine and quickly became a player teams want to draft. His rise from Division III to the NBA is remarkable.
