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Eastern Washington University Basketball

Cedric Coward commits to WSU, becoming fourth former EWU player to join coach David Riley

Eastern Washington’s Cedric Coward dribbles against Northern Colorado last season at Reese Court in Cheney. (Courtesy of Eastern Washington athletics)
Eastern Washington’s Cedric Coward dribbles against Northern Colorado last season at Reese Court in Cheney. (Courtesy of Eastern Washington athletics)
By Greg Woods gregw@spokesman.com(509) 459-5587

PULLMAN – Cedric Coward became the fourth Eastern Washington basketball player to follow coach David Riley to Pullman, announcing on his Instagram page Thursday that he will play at Washington State next season.

Coward, a 6-foot-6 wing who averaged 15.4 points last season, pulled his name from the NBA draft pool on Tuesday. He joins former EWU players Ethan Price, Dane Erikstrup and LeJuan Watts on Riley’s rebuilt WSU roster.

Coward, who also recorded 6.7 rebounds per game for last season’s Big Sky Conference regular-season champion Eagles, will have one season of eligibility at WSU. A 38% 3-point shooter on an average of 4.2 attempts last season, Coward provides the Cougs with length and strength on the perimeter, figuring to start right away for Riley, his former coach at EWU.

Coward started his career at Division III Willamette, where he averaged 19.5 points in 24 games, shooting 61% from the field and 45% on 3-pointers, on 2.7 tries per game.

Coward’s addition makes nine this offseason for Riley, who has reeled in four of his former Eagles, plus former Washington guard Nate Calmese, Iceland guard Tomas Thrastaron, Cal transfer ND Okafor, Quinnipiac transfer Rihard Vavers and Lapwai (Idaho) High guard Kase Wynott, who flipped from Utah State.

The 2024-25 Cougars are taking shape. Gone are 12 players from last season’s NCAA Tournament team, including wing Jaylen Wells and forward Isaac Jones (NBA draft; Jones graduated), guard Myles Rice (Indiana); wing Andrej Jakimovski (Colorado); centers Oscar Cluff (South Dakota State), Rueben Chinyelu (Florida) and walk-on AJ LaBeau (Cornell); guards Jabe Mullins (Montana State), Dylan Darling (Idaho State) and Joseph Yesufu (West Virginia); and wing Kymany Houinsou (Loyola Chicago).

The only holdovers from that team are guards Isaiah Watts and Parker Gerrits, the latter of whom took a redshirt season.

Riley led Eastern Washington to consecutive regular-season Big Sky championships before departing for WSU to replace Kyle Smith in April.