Duke’s Cedric Coward throws a powerful message on Jon Scheyer during the NBA Draft Combine

The Duke Blue Devils had a tsunami of player departures this spring, following their NCAA Tournament Final Four appearance. Fortunately for head coach Jon Scheyer, those exits were for the right reasons.

Four of Duke’s five starters, including expected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and fellow standout Kon Knueppel, will enter the NBA Draft. While Flagg receives the majority of the national attention, Knueppel is widely predicted to be a top-10 pick. Tyrese Proctor and Khaman Maluach are also garnering attention from NBA teams.

During this roster transition, Duke basketball issued an update on a player they believed would suit up for them this season: Cedric Coward. Though his stay in Durham was always intended to be a one-year stop, his situation remains uncertain.

“Cedric Coward on his looming decision to stay in the draft or go to Duke”

Coward, 21, has already completed four seasons of college basketball. He started his career at Willamette University before transferring to Eastern Washington, where he achieved First-Team All-Big Sky recognition. During his final season with the Eagles, he averaged 15.4 points/game.

After transferring to Washington State, he only played six games before suffering a shoulder injury in November that ended his season. Despite his brief time, Coward was impressive, averaging 17.7 points and seven rebounds per game.

Jon Scheyer is the Duke Blue Devils’ head coach.

© Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images

At the NBA Draft Combine, Coward discussed his relationship with Coach Scheyer and how involved the Duke staff has been in the draft process.

“Talking to Coach Scheyer and the staff, I communicate pretty much everything with them as I get information,” Coward told reporters. “They fully support my decision to focus on the draft right now because it is my dream. At the moment, I am completely focused on the draft.

When asked what it would take for him to stay in the draft, Coward responded:

“At the end of the day, I’m not sure if I need to hear anything specific. It will come down to conversations with my agent and making the best decision based on the knowledge I have.”

When asked if Duke was still a consideration if he returned to college for another season, Coward quickly praised the program.

“Tremendously. There’s a reason I chose them. I adore Coach Scheyer and his staff. I feel they can assist me if I go there.

The deadline for withdrawing from the NBA Draft and retaining NCAA eligibility is May 28.

Am Duke Blue Devils No Matter Where I Am: Am Blues Forever

There is something deeply spiritual about college sports. The loyalty, the tradition, the heart, the pride—these elements transcend state lines and borders. For me, it all boils down to one truth: I am Duke Blue Devils no matter where I am. Whether I’m watching from my couch in a different time zone, repping the blue and white while walking through a foreign city, or arguing with Tar Heel fans in an airport lounge, my heart beats in sync with Cameron Indoor Stadium. I am, and will always be, Blues forever.

Loyalty to a team like Duke isn’t just about wins and banners, though those certainly help. It’s about identity. It’s about how a team can represent excellence, discipline, intelligence, and heart. It’s about the memories tied to buzzer beaters and tournament runs. It’s about walking into any room, seeing someone in that same shade of Duke blue, and knowing you speak the same language—basketball, pride, tradition. Even when the team is going through tough seasons, even when players graduate or enter the draft early, that connection never fades. We don’t switch teams like we change shoes. We bleed blue.

I can’t forget the first time I saw a Duke game. It wasn’t live in Cameron—though I’ve since made that pilgrimage—it was on TV, with the energy vibrating through the screen. It was J.J. Redick lighting up the scoreboard, it was the Cameron Crazies jumping in a sea of controlled chaos, it was Coach K prowling the sideline like a general. I didn’t understand everything about college basketball then, but I understood emotion, passion, and unity. Duke had it all.

That passion only grew over the years. It followed me to high school, to college, and into adult life. When life changed, when I moved to different cities or worked different jobs, when I met people from other corners of the world, one thing stayed consistent—Duke. That’s the power of true fandom. It’s a form of home.

Many people outside the Duke community often see the school as elite, privileged, and arrogant. Let them. They don’t understand the grind that defines our players, the brotherhood that forms between teammates, the legacy that Coach K built from the ground up and passed on to Jon Scheyer. They don’t know the pressure of being a Duke player, how the name on the jersey comes with weight, scrutiny, and expectations. To be Duke is to carry the pressure of greatness and still show up and deliver.

What makes the Duke fandom even stronger is that it is forged in fire. We are hated. We are envied. We are always the team everyone wants to beat. That just fuels our loyalty. It would be easy to support a Cinderella team or a loveable underdog, but rooting for Duke takes a certain level of commitment. We are judged for our success, accused of favoritism, blamed for the system’s faults. But true fans don’t flinch. We wear that hatred like armor.

The Duke-Carolina rivalry is the heartbeat of college basketball. It’s more than just a game; it’s a war waged in hardwood battles and chants and color. When you’re a Duke fan, you don’t just cheer for your team—you take it personally. You remember every missed call, every buzzer-beater, every iconic play. You wear the heartbreaks and victories like scars. You know the feeling of sweet revenge and the sting of bitter losses. And you show up again and again, because it’s not just a game—it’s part of who you are.

I’ve met Duke fans in every corner of the world. I’ve seen people in Blue Devils caps in airports in Asia, in bars in Europe, in taxis in Africa. There’s always a nod of recognition, a brief smile of mutual understanding. It doesn’t matter where we are—we carry Duke with us. We follow recruiting news, we stream games at 3 AM, we watch highlight reels like gospel. We don’t just cheer when the team is good; we endure the off-seasons, the rebuilding years, the one-and-done transitions.

And let’s talk about the players. Duke is more than just a school—it’s a launching pad for legends. From Grant Hill to Kyrie Irving, from Shane Battier to Zion Williamson, from Jason Williams to Brandon Ingram, the list reads like a basketball hall of fame. And yet, despite all the talent, the team always feels unified. It never feels like a group of individuals chasing stats. It’s a family. The Brotherhood isn’t just a hashtag; it’s a real culture.

Even when our players go to the NBA, we follow them. We root for the Pelicans because of Zion, for the Celtics because of Tatum. And when they succeed, we cheer not just for their talent, but for the Duke DNA that they carry into the league. That connection never breaks. Once a Blue Devil, always a Blue Devil.

People often ask what it means to be a fan from afar. How do you feel connected to a school you didn’t attend, or a team that plays thousands of miles away? My answer is simple: fandom is not about geography. It’s about heart. It’s about belief. It’s about a connection so deep that it becomes a part of you. You don’t choose to be a Duke fan—you feel it, you live it. And once you do, there’s no going back.

I’ve watched Duke games alone in hotel rooms and surrounded by strangers in packed watch parties. I’ve screamed at TV screens and cried after heartbreaking losses. I’ve lost my voice after Final Four thrillers and stayed up late rewatching highlights from decades ago. That’s what it means to be Blues forever. It’s more than a phase. It’s a lifestyle.

Critics will say we’re too intense, too smug, too obsessed. But we don’t care. We don’t want fair-weather fans. We don’t want half-hearted cheers. We want those who understand what it means to wear that blue, to scream “Let’s go Duke!” even when we’re down, to clap in rhythm with the Cameron Crazies even when you’re thousands of miles away.

Being a Duke fan means always carrying that fire with you. It means seeing a Duke logo and feeling a sense of pride. It means looking forward to March Madness like it’s a national holiday. It means believing in our program, in our legacy, in our future. It means knowing that no matter where you go, no matter how far life takes you, you’ll always be connected by something unshakable.

So yes, I am Duke Blue Devils no matter where I am. From Durham to Dubai, from the student section to the sidelines of memory, from championship highs to rebuilding lows—I am with them. I am one of them. I am Blues forever. And I always will be.

Ex-Duke Basketball Signee Suffers Significant Ranking Decline

Since withdrawing from the Duke basketball program a few weeks ago, Shelton Henderson has experienced a decline in his reputation.

In early November, Bellaire High School (Texas) forward Shelton Henderson declared his dedication to Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils. According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound senior was ranked as the 15th-best prospect in the 2025 class among his peers. In February, he advanced one position to No. 14.

However, Henderson withdrew his commitment to the Blue Devils in mid-April. A few days later, he made a commitment to the Miami Hurricanes, joining the program’s new head coach, Jai Lucas, who departed from the Duke basketball bench at the conclusion of the regular season after serving as one of Scheyer’s top assistants in Durham for three years.

Henderson is no longer considered a five-star prospect by the staff at 247Sports. This week, the site’s final 2025 rankings update has lowered him by 11 spots to No. 25 overall in the cycle. That represents the most significant decline of any player who was in the top 30 before the update.

15 five-star recruits in the FINAL 2025 Top247 Rankings. 🚨

MORE: https://t.co/NRVR2ezlqy pic.twitter.com/AAoeSM3IDX

— 247Sports (@247Sports) May 7, 2025

The cycle currently ranks all three of Duke’s remaining 2025 signees above Shelton Henderson: five-star forward Cameron Boozer, five-star forward Nikolas Khamenia, and four-star guard Cayden Boozer.

The 2025 Blue Devil collection is ranked No. 1 in the ACC and No. 3 in the nation.

MATT GILES

The editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, Matt Giles, is a critical source for comprehensive coverage of these renowned college basketball programs. Matt has been committed to delivering exclusive content, breaking news, and in-depth analysis on all three teams since joining SI in 2022. He addresses a wide range of topics, including recruiting updates, player profiles, and game previews and summaries. Matt’s work has become a go-to resource for admirers and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC due to his expert knowledge of these teams. He is responsible for structuring the editorial direction to guarantee that his audience receives the most pertinent and punctual information in his capacity as publisher.