Cedric Coward’s path to the NBA was neither traditional nor for the faint of heart. Raised in Fresno, Calif., by his parents, Shanel and Willie Moore Jr., he played basketball at Central High there but to no great fanfare.

No national publicity, no recruiters in the stands for his games, at least not to see him. His best option? Willamette University in Salem, Ore., a private Division III school that on its website boasts “Welcome to Your New Quirky Home.”

One season with the Bearcats earned him two with Eastern Washington, best known in NBA circles for delivering Rodney Stuckey to the Pistons and the Pacers for a 10-year career. Under coach David Riley, Coward and his teammates posted a two-season mark of 31-5 in the Big Sky conference, opening another opportunity for the coach and hi

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