PULLMAN — Cedric Coward is looking more and more like a first-round NBA draft pick.
The former Washington State wing, who forwent his commitment to Duke in favor of staying in the draft pool, has received an invitation to the green room at next week’s draft, with the first round set for 5 p.m. Wednesday. That’s according to a report from ESPN, which indicated that Coward was one of five final players invited by the league office.
The green room is a staging area in front of the NBA draft podium, where 24 players, their families and agents await NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s announcement of players’ names upon selection.
Coward is widely projected to be taken in the first round. In ESPN’s latest mock draft, he’s drafted by the Utah Jazz with the No. 21 pick; according to Bleacher Report, he could go to the Oklahoma City Thunder with the No. 15 pick; according to Yahoo Sports, he might be selected with the No. 14 pick by the San Antonio Spurs.
It’s that first-round consensus that landed Coward a spot in the green room. NBA teams vote on the top 25 players whose names they anticipate hearing called first. It’s an effort to make sure players aren’t sitting for too long in front of a national TV audience.
While a green room invite is regarded as a positive sign for players’ draft stocks, they aren’t always selected in the first round.
Recent examples include Bol Bol, Deyonta Davis and Nic Claxton, as well as Johnny Furphy and Kyle Filipowski from last year’s draft.
Regardless of where Coward lands in the draft, he’ll add to the legacy of WSU basketball alumni in the NBA. Once he signs with a team, he will be the fifth active former Cougar in the league, joining Dallas Mavericks wing Klay Thompson, Atlanta Hawks forward Mo Gueye, Memphis Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells and Sacramento Kings forward Isaac Jones, the last of whom went undrafted last summer.
On his Instagram story Thursday afternoon, Wells gave a shout-out to Coward with the caption “Cougssss.”
Coward started his career at Division III Willamette before playing the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons at Eastern Washington.
In one injury-shortened season at WSU, Coward averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists, playing only six games before going down with a season-ending shoulder injury during a November practice in Pullman.
Greg Woods: Washington State beat writer for The Spokesman-Review