NBA Draft Scouting Report: Eastern Washington's Cedric Coward
Cedric Coward
Wing | Eastern Washington
Height: 6'6” | Weight: 205 lbs
2024 Draft Age: 20.78
Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
One of the most underrated players in the country, Coward played Division III basketball at Willamette University en route to averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds per game before transferring to Eastern Washington his sophomore season. He played a bench role in his first season with the Eagles, but is now in a much more prominent role and showcasing his vast skillset.
Coward is a do-it-all guard that can impact the game in many ways. He plays so much bigger than his height, despite having great positional size at 6-foot-6. He shot 45% from deep as freshman and almost 40% as sophomore, although on low attempts. He’s increased his volume as a junior this season, while also keeping a fairly efficient clip. He is a good free throw shooter and the mechanics on the jumper leave optimism about his shooting translating at the NBA level.
While the Eastern Washington product only produced 61 total assists as a sophomore, you can tell when watching him that he has passing upside and the vision hasn’t been showcased fully yet. In fact, he flirted with a 15% assist rate in his first season with the Eagles. Coward is also an underrated rebounder for his position, notching a 15.4% rebound rate as a sophomore. He’s extremely versatile with guard skills at the size of a wing with the ability to do things some frontcourt players are typically responsible for.
On the defensive end, Coward has shown flashes of disruptiveness. He’s proven he can be a quality shot blocker and has great lateral quickness. He takes long strides and can stay in front of even the quickest of guards.
Given he’s a jumbo guard/wing with a solid 3-point shooter and a defensive playmaker, Coward has an NBA skillset he can fall back on. If the other parts of his game continue to improve, he will be a very well-rounded prospect entering the 2024 NBA Draft.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Potential Second-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
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