Former Washington State men’s basketball player Cedric Coward has been selected number 11 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2025 NBA Draft. He is a part of a trade to be completed later that will send him to the **Memphis Grizzlies**.
The Grizzlies were a rumored suitor for Coward entering the draft and decided they couldn’t wait till pick 16, trading up with the Blazers to select Coward. Details of the trade will be revealed later. The Pullman to Memphis pipeline continues as Coward will now be teammates with former Cougar Jaylen Wells, who was taken by Memphis in the 2024 draft. Both Cougs share a very similar journey, starting their careers below the Division 1 level before making their way to Pullman and now Memphis.
Coward becomes the fourth player out of Washington State to be drafted in the first round and the highest picked since Klay Thompson also went 11th in 2011. Robert Bishop in 1948 and Don Collins in 1980 mark the other two Cougs.
Coward flew up the experts boards throughout the draft process, culminating in being selected in the top 15. Following an injury-shortened season at Washington State, Coward entered the transfer portal and committed to Duke while still keeping his name in the NBA Draft. After impressing seemingly every scout out there, Coward decided to forgo his final season of collegiate basketball and remain in the NBA Draft.
Now, just a few years after beginning his college basketball career at Division III Willamette University, he’ll be living out his dream of playing professional basketball.
Coward made Pullman a part of his NBA journey last season, following his coach David Riley from Eastern Washington after two seasons in Cheney. He appeared in 6 games for the Cougars, averaging 17.7 points, grabbing 7.0 rebounds and dishing 3.7 assists, leading WSU to a 5-1 start. Tragically, his season was cut short due to a [jagged rotator cuff and partially torn labrum.](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/mar/06/inside-wsu-wing-cedric-cowards-injury-recovery-and/)
Though his WSU tenure was short, when his name was called by commissioner Adam Silver, it was announced as “Cedric Coward from Washington State University”.
With the selection of Coward, WSU has now had a player taken in the NBA Draft three straight seasons. Mouhamed Gueye was selected by the Charlotte Hornets — and traded to the Atlanta Hawks — in 2023 and as mentioned earlier, Wells by Memphis last year. Isaac Jones also went to the NBA in 2024, going undrafted and signed by the Sacramento Kings. Gueye appeared in 33 games last year for Atlanta, starting in 28 of them. He also started in both of the Hawks play-in games. Jaylen Wells shined in his rookie season for Memphis, starting in 74 of his 79 games played, averaging 10.4 points. Despite a scary injury near the end of the regular season, he was named to the All-NBA Rookie team and finished 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting. Jones appeared in 40 games for the Kings last season and spent time in the NBA G-League, averaging 21.1 points in 12 games for the Stockton Kings.