Draft Cedric Coward second overall

Thorpe sees MVP potential

Cedric Coward is a 21-year-old guard who played three seasons of NCAA basketball–two at Eastern Washington, and then last season at Washington State where he missed all but six games with a shoulder injury. TOMMY MARTINO/UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA/GETTY IMAGES

Over the last few months, David Thorpe has been telling us at TrueHoop that he would draft Washington State’s Cedric Coward second overall in the Cooper Flagg draft. Most mock drafts have Coward much lower. As Thorpe did just recently predict “Thunder in 7,” I figured we should hear him out.

Coward wowed in almost every category at the combine in Chicago. He is 6-5.25 without shoes, and he has a 7-2.25 wingspan–which is ridiculous. That’s longer than NBA centers like Yves Missi, longer than most forwards, and longer than every guard in the NBA draft this and most years. Only extraordinary wing players like J…