Sunday night marked the end of the basketball season when the Oklahoma City Thunder won the championship title against the Pacers. Just three days later – the next class of NBA stars will learn where they will start their professional career.
The 2025 NBA Draft begins on Wednesday at 5 p.m. PT on KXLY-ABC.
The first round will likely rewrite Washington State Cougar history books if small forward Cedric Coward hears his name called. If drafted on Wednesday night, Coward would be the first Coug to go in the first round since Klay Thompson was drafted 11th overall to the Warriors in 2011.
There are currently four former WSU players in the league: Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies), Mouhamed Gueye (Hawks), Issac Jones (Sacramento Kings) and Thompson (Dallas Mavericks). Coward will be the fifth.
Mock draft boards have Coward getting picked in the first round with ESPN having him as 16th overall and The Athletic putting him at 14th.
Coward was injured for the majority of the Cougs’ 2024-25 season but averaged 17.7 points and 7 rebounds in just the six games he played in the Crimson and Gray. Coward came to WSU after two seasons at Eastern Washington to follow head coach David Riley when he was hired as the Cougar’s head coach.
Riley said it was during Coward’s time at EWU, specifically going into his second season, where Riley really started to see the potential for Coward to make it to the league.
“Whatever workout we did as a team or as a group. he’d come back later that night do the same thing do it over and over until he had every detail down so he could make that next jump,” Riley said.
In addition to his natural talent, Riley said Coward has developed his game on the perimeter over his college career shooting at 38% from three. Coward’s size is on his side, highlighted by his 7′ 2″ wingspan.
Coward has gone from playing at the Division III level at Willamette to becoming a first round draft prospect. Riley said it’s all because of his work ethic.
“He approached week three the same way he approached day one and then the same way he approached month five,” said Riley. “I think just his motor and his steady approach to the game and the process is what makes him special and obviously he’s got some god given talent too.”
Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard could also hear his name called this year but it will likely be later in the second round beginning Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. PT.
ESPN slated Nembhard at 58th overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their updated mock draft. Nembhard was the face of the Zags during his time in Spokane. He averaged 10.8 points last season so while he wasn’t always the center of the biggest plays of the game, Nembhard was responsible for creating those big moments.
His single season assist record is to show for it. Nembhard tallied the most assists ever in a season by a Gonzaga player. He also led the entire nation in assists with 9.8. Nembhard’s biggest weakness is his size measuring at 5′ 11″ with a 6′ 2″ wingspan which would make him one of the smallest players in the NBA.
Khalif Battle, Ben Gregg and Nolan Hickman also declared for the draft after their stints at Gonzaga. Those guys will likely try their hand at free agency after the draft or an opportunity in the G League if they don’t get drafted this week.
There are currently 12 former Zags in the NBA: Brandon Clarke, Anton Watson, Chet Holmgren, Drew Timme, Andrew Nembhard, Corey Kispert, Rui Hachimura, Zach Collins, Julian Strawther, Jalen Suggs, Kelly Olynyk and Domantas Sabonis.
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