It would be one thing if Isaiah Evans and Cedric Coward were merely dreaming about their NBA prospects. But both expected members of Duke’s 2025–26 roster have already drawn legitimate draft buzz, with some projections placing them as potential late first-round picks this year.
Though they’re currently just “testing the waters” as early entrants—and have until May 28 to withdraw and maintain college eligibility—their inclusion on the 75-player invite list for the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago (May 11–18) signals real interest from the league. The NBA appears eager to evaluate what Evans and Coward can offer now, not just in the future.
Simply receiving a combine invite is a notable achievement—and a strong sign that both are being viewed as legitimate draft prospects ahead of the June 25–26 NBA Draft at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Evans and Coward appear on the NBA Draft Combine invite list alongside five other Blue Devils: projected one-and-done lottery picks Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach, as well as outgoing junior Tyrese Proctor and graduated guard Sion James.
For now, aside from his name surfacing on the list of early draft entrants this week, Duke freshman guard Isaiah Evans—a clutch sharpshooter off the bench during the 2024–25 season—hasn’t made any formal announcement. In fact, he casually told Duke’s social media team that he plans to return to Durham for his sophomore campaign in 2025–26.
Meanwhile, versatile wing Cedric Coward, who recently committed to Duke for his final year of eligibility after stints at Eastern Washington and Washington State, had already declared for the NBA Draft before announcing his transfer to play under Jon Scheyer.
Looking ahead, Duke is set to bring in three five-star freshmen while returning several contributors—though none of last season’s full-time starters are expected back.
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