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BROOKLYN, New York (KSEE/KGPE) - Fresno autochthonal Cedric Coward finished disconnected a singular travel from Central East High School, each the mode to the archetypal circular of the NBA Draft, erstwhile helium was taken with the 11th wide prime Wednesday nighttime successful Brooklyn, New York.
Cedric was officially selected by the Portland Trail Blazers, but was instantly traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
In return, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Grizzlies sent Portland the No. 16 prime successful this year's draft, a 2028 first-round prime via Orlando, and 2 second-round picks.
Coward was a two-time All-League enactment for the Grizzlies arsenic a inferior and senior, and helped pb Central East to a runner-up decorativeness successful the Division 2A, SoCal Regional Tournament during the 2020-2021 play that was affected by COVID.
Coward had nary assistance offers retired of precocious school, and went to Division 3 Willamette University successful Salem, Oregon.
He averaged 19.4 points and a league-best 12.0 rebounds per crippled astatine Willamette, wherever helium was named a archetypal squad All-NWC enactment and the NWC Freshman of the Year.
He transferred to Eastern Washington successful the Big Sky aft his freshman year, and aft chiefly contributing disconnected the seat for the Eagles arsenic a sophomore successful 2022-23, helium started each 32 games for EWU arsenic a inferior successful 2023-24, and was named a unanimous Big Sky archetypal squad All-Conference selection.
Around this time, Coward began to get immoderate attraction from the adjacent level, particularly aft a show against Weber State.
"He (Cedric) knew determination were gonna beryllium scouts watching different subordinate connected the other squad (former Weber State prima Dillon Jones)," Cedric's parent Shanel Moore told Sports Central connected Sunday. "At that time, erstwhile I watched that game, helium turned it on. He was similar I cognize they're present for them, but they're gonna permission talking astir me."
He led Eastern Washington successful points per crippled (15.4), rebounds and blocks that season, and changeable 56.5% from the field, arsenic good arsenic 89.5% from the escaped propulsion line.
He transferred again aft his inferior season, making the determination to Washington State.
He was named to the WCC All-Preseason Team this past season, and flashed NBA imaginable successful his archetypal six games there, erstwhile helium averaged 17.7 points per game, 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Sadly though, his play was chopped abbreviated by a season-ending enarthrosis wounded successful precocious November.
Coward had 1 much twelvemonth of assemblage eligibility remaining, and entered the transportation portal successful precocious April, generating involvement from galore of the apical assemblage programs successful the country.
He committed to historical powerfulness Duke, which bushed retired different finalists Alabama, Kansas, Washington and existent nationalist champion Florida.
After impressing scouts astatine the NBA Draft Combine though, Coward decided to support his sanction successful the NBA Draft and forego the accidental to play astatine Duke.
Scouts were impressed by Coward's awesome 3-point shooting stroke, (career 38.8 3P%), and his agelong scope (7 foot, 2 1/4 inch wingspan).
NBA.com described Coward arsenic "a prototypical 3-and-D helping successful the modern NBA. He has the size, athleticism, magnitude and a proven quality to sound down shots from down the arc, thing that has go pivotal successful today’s game. Any squad could usage his jolt of shooting and the willingness to bash immoderate it takes to assistance his squad win. Coward’s versatile crippled resembles thing of a connector role, akin to guys similar Derrick White, Aaron Wiggins, Max Strus and Aaron Nesmith."
Coward is the grandson of Fresno Athletic Hall of Famer Maxie Parks. Parks went to Washington Union High School, and past UCLA, and won a golden medal successful the 4×400 relay astatine the 1976 Summer Olympics successful Montreal.
Growing up, Coward spent a batch of clip practicing his crippled connected a hoops hoop successful the frontyard of Maxie's location successful Fresno, and Maxie helped make Coward arsenic a hoops subordinate by incorporating immoderate of his track-and-field grooming techniques.
"I'd springiness him a batch of cardio training, over-distance training, helping him recognize however to respire portion he's running, portion he's recovering, giving him tips connected however to beryllium flexible, however to stretch, however to support the muscles loose, things to that effect," Parks told Sports Central.
"Their narration has helped him spot immoderate things from a position that possibly different kids don't see, due to the fact that my begetter (Maxie) has a contented successful his accomplishment that helium tin walk down, and Cedric is simply a sponge of that wisdom," said Shanel.
