PULLMAN — David Riley’s first season as Eastern Washington’s head coach was only a couple of weeks old when he decided to watch a college game in Oregon, where his old boss’ next job was unfolding.
Earlier in 2021, Shantay Legans had left EWU to coach Portland, which was hosting an exhibition game against a Division III school.
That’s the first time Riley watched his future NBA draft selection. It was the third career college game for Willamette’s little-known freshman guard Cedric Coward, who came off the bench to total 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Riley had heard whispers of Coward’s potential — Willamette plays in the same conference as Riley’s alma mater, Whitworth — so for Riley, seeing him produce against Division I talent confirmed what he suspected.
Coward had real star potential.
After the season, Coward entered the transfer portal and landed at EWU, a recruiting effort for which Riley gave former Eagles assistant Arturo Ormond some real credit. Two years later, Coward followed Riley from EWU to Washington State.
One year after that, Coward is doing interviews in New York City, the site of Wednesday’s NBA draft.
Coward is widely expected to be taken in the first round. Wherever he’s taken, Coward’s selection will make three consecutive drafts with players selected for the Cougars, who sent Mo Gueye onto the Atlanta Hawks in 2023 and Jaylen Wells to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2024.
Mock drafts see Coward winding up with the San Antonio Spurs at No. 14 (the Athletic), the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 16 (ESPN, the Ringer, CBS Sports) or the recent NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 15 (Yahoo Sports). Wherever Coward goes, he’ll hear his name called from the green room, a staging area in front of the podium where league commissioner Adam Silver announces selections.
When Coward signs his first contract, he’ll make the fifth former Cougar in the league, alongside Wells, Gueye, Dallas Mavericks wing Klay Thompson and Sacramento Kings forward Isaac Jones, who went undrafted last summer.
For Riley and WSU, it’s a point of pride, establishing their program as a place that sends prospects onto the pros.
“What Washington State has done in the last few years is pretty special,” Riley said in a Zoom news conference Monday. “I think we’ve got at least four or five guys playing in summer league this year. And the cool part about it is it’s a bunch of guys that were kind of written off, guys like Jaylen that played DII, Cedric played DIII, Isaac Jones was playing junior college basketball in Washington a couple years before he played in the NBA. Just really cool stories, and I think Washington State is a place where you can achieve your dreams.”
Coward may not have played many games in a WSU jersey, only six before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury during a November practice, but he’ll be representing the Cougs when his name is announced.
He might also be associated with Duke, where he gave a commitment in the spring after entering the transfer portal, but he elected to forgo that pledge and remain in the draft pool.
A 6-foot-6 wing who can score at all three levels, Coward hasn’t been cleared for full contact in practices, but he’s done enough to impress scouts and GMs across the league. He’s always had the tools. When he’s finally fully healthy, he’ll be able to use them at the highest level of basketball.
“It’s really cool to be a part of it,” Riley said. “I’m grateful that I’ve got a job that allows me to help people achieve their dreams, and that’s why I was able to help him. He did all the work. He put himself out there. He was the one that was mentally tough enough to do this, and I’m just glad I could be a part of it.”
New players impress in summer workouts
Like last year, the Cougars are working to implement an entirely new team. WSU has eight newcomers, including freshmen Aaron Glass, Brunel Madzou, Dominik Robinson and Dio Blakely, and transfers Emmanuel Ugbo (Boise State), Eemeli Yalaho (Texas Tech), Simon Hildebrandt (High Point) and Jerone Morton (Morehead State).
But to Riley, the player who has taken the most encouraging strides is one of the Cougs’ five returners, junior big man ND Okafor, who Riley said has “taken a big step.”
“He almost looks like a different player,” Riley said, “just the way he’s moving, the way he’s had more confidence out there. So we’ll have a different look, but I think a lot of the same concepts will be out there.”
It also wraps up a busy summer for the Cougars’ coaches, who spent lots of time on the recruiting trail, trying to find ways to replace last year’s starting five and then some. To hear Riley tell it, he and his staff paid a little more attention to the details this time around.
“I think we did a good job and spent a little more time recruiting to make sure that they’re understanding what their role is,” Riley said, “and what they’re gonna be able to bring to the table for us.”
Greg Woods: Washington State beat writer for The Spokesman-Review