Things have been a little quiet recently in the Transfer Portal for Nate Oats and Alabama basketball. With three open roster spots, fans are a little antsy as they wait for the roster to fill out. With players around the country testing the NBA Draft waters, there is still quite a bit of talent that is available, but patience is required.
One of the Crimson Tide's top targets, and perhaps its No. 1 target at the moment, is Washington State transfer guard Cedric Coward. According to Jon Rothstein, Coward has narrowed his focus to just two teams: Alabama and Duke.
Washington State transfer Cedric Coward has cut his list to Alabama and Duke, per his agent Todd Ramasar of @LifeSportsAgncy.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 22, 2025
Coward's primary focus is still on the NBA Draft after he picks a school.
Averaged 17.7 PPG and 7.0 RPG in six games last season prior to injury.
Coward is currently testing the NBA Draft waters, and that is his No. 1 focus. He intends to announce a commitment to a school while still going through the process. The deadline to exit the NBA Draft and maintain collegiate eligibility is June 15th.
Coward is coming off a season at Washington State where he only played six games due to a rotator cuff injury. He was outstanding in those six games, however, averaging 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 56/40/84 shooting splits.
Coward spent the previous two seasons at Eastern Washington before transferring to Washington State. In his final season at Eastern Washington, he averaged 15.4 points per game and connected on 38% of his three-point attempts on over four attempts per game.
ESPN's Jonathan Givony has Coward projected as a late second round pick. It is unknown at this point what kind of guarantees would keep Coward in the draft.
Coward's decision likely impacts whether Rylan Griffen returns to Alabama
With three roster spots open, Alabama has a few needs. One of them is certainly a big guard/wing, which Oats and staff hope to fill with Coward. If Coward signs with Alabama, that likely means there will not be a spot left for Rylan Griffen, the former Crimson Tide wing who spent last season at Kansas before entering the Transfer Portal again.
Alabama's other needs include a lead guard and likely a 4/5 hybrid to replace Mo Dioubate.
Alabama has been tight-lipped on current portal targets with little leaking out of Tuscaloosa. That has been by-design to prevent others from potentially poaching its targets with godfather-like offers that the Crimson Tide prefers not to match.
Coward is expected to visit either Alabama or Duke soon. Where he ends up on a visit should be a good indication of where he's leaning. Jeff Goodman recently said he believes the Crimson Tide has the lead for Coward, but that was a week ago, and a lot can change in a week.