Cedric Coward Talks About NBA Draft Process and WSU Commitment in Interview

The former Eastern Washington state star and current Cougar talked about his experiences this offseason.

Keenan Womack | Sep 19, 2024

December 7, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; Eastern Washington Eagles forward Cedric Coward (0) grabs a rebound against the California Golden Bears during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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Washington State Cougars

One of the upcoming stars of the 2024-25 Washington State Cougars basketball team is Eastern Washington transfer wing Cedric Coward, a senior with legitimate NBA upside who flirted with the pros after his impressive junior season with the Eagles.

Speaking to Jacob of League Him, he discussed many aspects of his offseason with regards to possibly going to the NBA as well as figuring out where he would go if he decided to return to college.

"I went into the pre-draft process wanting to get drafted. It wasn't a [situation where] 'I want to get experience and then go back to school.' No, it wasn't one of those things of 'Let me feel it out so next year it's a for sure thing.' No, let's try to get drafted, and if it doesn't happen, I'll always have the option to go back to school."

He continued to talk about what his time was like fielding calls from other schools as well as dealing with the pre-draft process as well: "The pre-draft mixed with the transfer portal calls...was a tiring thing. So I gave that to my dad. I said, 'I need to focus on this pre-draft stuff.' He was more than willing to do it."

He then discussed his commitment to the Cougars, following his head coach David Riley from Eastern Washington to Pullman: "These are my coaches. [Other schools] have to have a really good pitch to take me away...They laid out the plan. For me having one year left...that was the biggest factor."

He mentioned that there were questions about his competition level at Eastern Washington, but that those can now be laid to rest playing in the West Coast Conference.

"You can't say that now. We're playing Gonzaga, St. Mary's, San Francisco, Santa Clara...all these teams that are [borderline NCAA Tournament teams]. For me, it was an easy decision."

You can watch the full interview below.

Published Sep 19, 2024|Modified Sep 19, 2024

KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.