That sentiment, while enthusiastic, also reflects a calculated choice. Coward chose Duke over offers from top programs like Alabama, drawn by a system that emphasizes ball movement, positional flexibility, and defensive intensity, areas where he has shown strength.

Most reports of Cedric Coward's commitment to Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff on Monday evening are not worded correctly. After all, the Blue Devils have not actually "landed" the former Washington State and Eastern Washington forward just yet.

Cedric Coward’s basketball career is proof of his tenacity and faith in himself. Coward’s journey from modest beginnings at Division III Willamette University to joining the illustrious Duke Blue Devils has been anything but typical.