Yardbarker
x
Gators Among Finalists for Transfer Guard
Nov 21, 2024; Spokane, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars guard Cedric Coward (0) makes an easy lay up against the Eastern Washington Eagles in the first half at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images James Snook-Imagn Images

As the Florida Gators look to rebuild its guard rotation with Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard all departing from the program, the Gators find themselves finalists for one of the top guards in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Washington State transfer Cedric Coward, who is also exploring his options in the NBA Draft, has listed the Gators among his five finalists, which includes Duke, Alabama, Kansas and Washington. Coward (6-6, 206) has one year of eligibility remaining and averaged 17.7 points and seven rebounds across six games played this year.

He missed most of the 2024-25 season due to injury after transferring to Washington State from Eastern Washington.

Coward is also currently ranked as the No. 17 overall transfer and No. 7 shooting guard in the portal, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

Prior to his brief stint with the Cougars, Coward spent two seasons at Eastern Washington with a breakout campaign in 2023-24 after averaging 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and shooting 38.3 percent from deep. He began his career at Division III Willamette University.

Coward is latest of multiple transfer guards to have been linked to the Gators. Florida is currently hosting Princeton point guard Xaivian Lee, one of the top point guards in the portal, on a visit and have been looking at Ohio transfer AJ Brown, the brother of current Gator Isaiah Brown.

Florida also recently lost reserve guard Kajus Kublickas to the portal, opening up another scholarship for the Gators to fill.

More From Gators Illustrated


This article first appeared on Florida Gators on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!