At the 2025 NBA Draft, chaos came early. The Portland Trail Blazers, who had the No. 11 pick, decided to switch up at the last moment.
The selection went to the Memphis Grizzlies. In return, they received veteran Desmond Bane. Despite trading a veteran, the Grizzlies have not lost out because they made a move nobody saw coming — they grabbed a name that was not on mock drafts this high, landing Cedric Coward.
Coward’s story is perhaps one of the most intriguing storylines of this year’s draft, and one college basketball analyst agrees.
CBB Analyst Reveals How Cedric Coward Went From D3 Hoops to a Top 11 Pick
CBS Sports insider Matt Norlander, soon after Coward’s draft moment, went on to say, “Cedric Coward is the best story in the 2025 NBA Draft. He has walked a path and done something that’s never happened in the history of the NBA.”
And that is no exaggeration. Coward’s path zigzagged through uncharted territory. Coward started his collegiate hoops journey at Division III Willamette University, where he averaged 19.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game in his freshman season.
Now, that does not seem like a pipeline for NBA lottery picks. However, from there, he moved to Eastern Washington. In two seasons, he climbed the ranks, eventually earning Big Sky First-Team honors and becoming one of the most efficient players in the country.
“Cedric Coward is the best story in 2025 NBA Draft.”@MattNorlander takes a deep dive into how a once D3 College Basketball player turned into the No. 11 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. pic.twitter.com/Ou1fbuTt7t
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 26, 2025
“Although he didn’t play a ton of high-end competition,” Norlander explained, “his numbers were outrageously good. He was one of the most efficient players off the bench in his first year of Division I.” Coward stands at 6-foot-6, has a 7-foot-2 wingspan, and plays like a walking mismatch. But his story is not just about stats.
After Eastern Washington, as Norlander rightly puts it, “He transferred to Washington State, turning down hundreds of thousands of dollars in NIL money from high-major schools just to stay with his coaching staff, who got the Washington State job.” Now that loyalty seems to have paid off.
Coward played just six games at Washington State before he tore his shoulder. He never played another college game again. Despite this, the Grizzlies bet on him at No. 11. This is evidently not just about on-court performances but also what he has done off-court. And Norlander had something to say about this. “I’ve interviewed nearly 400 players,” Norlander added. “Cedric is one of the five best interviews I’ve ever done.”
The Memphis Grizzlies newest player:
Cedric Coward – 6’6”
Averaged 17.7/7.0/3.7/1.7 at Washington State last season 🔥
— EdeyMuse (@EdeyMuse) June 26, 2025
That personality, that mindset, that killer instinct, it’s real. Coward himself once said, “When I get on the court, I want to kill you. I’m trying to take your head off. Period.”
While the intangibles seem to be in place, the stats are not to be ignored either. Coward shot 40% from three and is a great free-throw shooter. And before his injury, Coward averaged nearly 33 minutes across six games at Washington State. He put up 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
Coward’s stretch included a 30-point explosion against Northern Colorado and two more 20-point outings. Even after the injury, scouts were all for his upside.
“He’s a potential diamond in the rough,” Norlander said. “And even at No. 11, that might be too low.”
In the lead-up to the draft, Coward drew comparisons to Jalen Williams, who was a fellow late bloomer turned lottery pick for the Oklahoma City Thunder. But Coward’s rise might be even more impressive considering the fact that it is not every day a D3 player turns into a No. 11 pick.
For Memphis, this is a big move. But if it connects, they might have just landed the steal of the draft.