Ardmore Team Preview

<p><em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em></p> <p>The calendar has flipped to November and it’s time to start talking high school basketball in Oklahoma! Over the last month, we’ve sent out questionnaires to all of the top teams across the state, to get as much information for our month-long preview series as possible to get you ready for this season. Who are the top players, who could have a break out year, who will be the top contenders when March rolls around and we’re all “gold ball chasing”? We have those answers and plenty more with our team by team previews! Stay tuned to Prep Hoops Oklahoma throughout the month for more individual team previews and more preview content that is on the way!</p> <hr /> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>ARDMORE TIGERS</strong></h3> <hr /> <h4><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></h4> <p>The Tigers played asleep until the postseason last year, peaking at the ideal moment and advancing to the state semifinal game before losing to the eventual state champion, Carl Albert.</p> <p>Ardmore brings back almost its entire group, with the exception of Chadre McGee, now a Randall Saint, from its 12-9 2021 group.</p> <p>Head coach Kyle Jessie said the 2022 Tigers will be an "exciting group to watch."</p> <p>Last year, Ardmore’s kryptonite was ranked teams; included in its regular season resume were losses to 4A No. 2 Heritage Hall, 5A No. 4 Bishop Kelley, 5A No. 5 Shawnee, 5A No. 3 Lawton MacArthur, and 6A No. 20 Southmoore.</p> <p>However, once the playoffs came, Ardmore locked in to capture wins against No. 13 Guthrie, No. 16 El Reno, and an overtime upset against No. 2 Tulsa Memorial, officially ending the Chargers’ three-year reign over 5A.</p> <p>This season will bring with it a plethora of familiar challenges for the Tigers.</p> <p>Ardmore will compete again in the Norman-Norman North Joe Lawson Invitational Tournament, which featured last year the 6A champs, Del City, as well as both the 4A and 5A runners-up, Heritage Hall and Lawton MacArthur.</p> <p>The Tigers will also participate in the Chickasaw Nation ECOC Tournament in Ada and the John Nobles Invitational in Moore.</p> <p>In the Regular season, Ardmore has tests against Lawton Mac and OKC Storm.</p> <hr /> <h4><strong>TOP RETURNING PLAYERS</strong></h4> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1164861" first="DD" last="Coleman"]</strong> -- Sr. G</p> <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <li>2021: 18p</li> </ul> <p>At the center of Ardmore’s returning corps is Coleman, who scored 18-a-night last season for the Tigers. A shifty, 6-foot-even guard, Coleman showed last season that he can take the reins and go off in spurts thanks to his dynamic skillset.</p> <p>He can use the handle to create scoring angles on defenders, and he does a good job elevating at the rim and finishing through contact.</p> <p>Coleman has a good shot, as well, with a knack for taking shots from yards or farther beyond the 3-point line. His ability to shoot from deep helped to give his team more room to score on the drive, and it should have the same effects this season.</p> <p><strong>Dion Brown</strong> -- Sr. G</p> <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <li>2021: 12p</li> </ul> <p>Brown came up clutch to keep the Tigers’ playoff dreams alive last season.</p> <p>In the area tournament against Glenpool, Brown scored 22 points to lift Ardmore in an overtime win.</p> <p>Then, in the state quarterfinal game, Brown knocked down six 3-pointers, including the go-ahead shot in overtime to sink Tulsa Memorial’s dreams of a four-peat.</p> <p>Coming back for his senior year, Brown will be expected to provide more heroism and more leadership for the Tigers.</p> <p><strong>Jordyn Brown</strong> -- Jr. G</p> <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <li>2021: 13p</li> </ul> <p>Like Dion, Jordyn is a returning sharpshooter for the Ardmore Tigers. In the overtime win against Tulsa Memorial, Jordyn barely trailed Dion as he scored 17 points on five triples.</p> <p>Brown can create for himself out of the dribble and impact the game from the perimeter, which the smaller Tigers’ back-court will need.</p> <p><strong>OTHER KEY RETURNERS</strong></p> <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <li>Sr. Dakaree Scott; 2021: 6p</li> <li>Jr. Shedric Jones</li> <li>So. Jason Dodson</li> <li>So. Emmett Pickens</li> </ul> <p><strong>KEY NEWCOMERS</strong></p> <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <li>Sr. Jalen Reed</li> <li>Jr. Kylan Cohee</li> <li>Jr. Zaden Henderson</li> <li>Jr. Kaden Blansett</li> </ul> <hr /> <h4><strong>NOTABLE</strong></h4> <p>Ardmore struck Tulsa Memorial down from the 3-point line, hitting on 16 of its 26 attempts to lift past the most prominent dynasty of the 2010s in Oklahoma basketball. </p> <p>For Ardmore to be successful in class that has only gotten better after the rejoining of Del City, who spent a season flirting about 6A and coming out of it with a Gold Ball, and the addition of Midwest City, the Tigers are going to have to be killers from the perimeter again.</p>