The strongest dark horse Koward: Starting from the third division, jumping to the first round, trial training to crush injuries and doubts

Name: Cedric Coward

Date of birth: September 11, 2003

Position: Scoreback/Small Forward

Team: Washington State University

Height: 6-foot-5 (1 meter 96)

Weight: 213 lbs (97 kg)

Wandspan: 7-foot-2 (2 Mi 18)

Player template: Mikal Bridges/Middleton/Jerami Grant

Statistics:

Koward played for the team in 2024-25 season, averaging 33.0 minutes per game, scoring 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 blocks, shooting percentage of 55.7%, three-point shooting percentage of 40.0%, and free throw shooting percentage of 83.9%.

ranking prediction:

advantage in the first round:

1. Physical conditions. Koward has an ideal wing figure and is good at using his shoulder width and long arms to build advantages. Koward is quick to move, coordinated, and is very suitable for growing muscles and strengthening strength. Koward's body helped him better absorb confrontation and fight for the ball on both sides of the offense and defense.

2. Comprehensive projection. Koward has mature shooting ability, smooth movements, clean and neat movements, and no offensive corners. He is very stable whether it is a ball-holding or off-ball shot. His three-point shooting percentage reached 38.8% in his college career and his free throw percentage was 90% in his junior season. When Coward was a college student, he liked to attack at low posts. He could finish the finals at a deep position after the confrontation. These skills could also help him get rid of tight defense on the outside and make up for his lack of explosive power. Koward's game is good, patient and calm, and rarely force his attacks on the offense.

3. Defensive elasticity. Koward can defend multiple positions, keep up with the defender with his lateral movement speed, and has a good enough body to deal with the wing players. Koward's defense is destructive and can rely on long arms to cut passes and interfere with shots. As a guard who is less than 2 meters tall, his blocking performance is impressive. Koward is aggressive in rebounding and has a keen intuition about the route of the ball.

Disadvantages:

1. Competition experience. Koward started low and didn’t have much experience in top-level matches and could be marginalized when facing stronger opponents. Koward has been reimbursed for injury only six games this season, and his durability is doubtful.

2. Transmission and control capability. Koward averaged 1.7 assists per game but made 2.2 turnovers per game, and still made 2.2 turnovers per game this season. Koward has a good vision and is cautious in handling the ball. He can do some simple feeding and passing, but does not have real organizational skills. Koward's ball-handling skills are monotonous and prone to mistakes when dribbling a lot, which leads to his limited ability to create opportunities one-on-one and in most cases it needs to play a role in dynamic offense.

Summary:

Koward's college basketball journey was long and bumpy. When he graduated from high school, he did not receive any invitation to college admission and could only enter Willamut University in the NCAA Division III to polish his skills. In his freshman season, Koward averaged 19.4 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, and was named Northwest League's Rookie of the Year and was selected for the first team. In his sophomore season, Koward transferred to East Washington University in the NCAA Division I, and averaged 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in his junior season. In his senior season, Koward transferred to Washington State University. When he was about to embark on a proof journey, he suffered a partial tear of the labrum after playing 6 games and was reimbursed for the season. However, Koward's inspiring experience has attracted many people's attention. In April this year, he promised to join Duke University and announced his participation in the NBA draft, while retaining the possibility of returning to school. In the joint trial, Koward attracted widespread attention from NBA teams for his inspiring backstory, reliable data and excellent efficiency. Koward has excellent dynamic physical fitness, with a maximum vertical bounce of 101cm. His shooting is also one of the best performances in the trial, with a combined shooting percentage of more than 70%. Koward proved that he was not affected by injuries, jumped from a undraft to a first-round favorite, and participated in a solo trial between the Thunder and the Celtics. Koward's comprehensive scoring skills and passing potential give him a high enough ceiling. Even if the development is not going well, he can rely on his mature projection and defensive skills to become a reliable 3D player.