Edmond Memorial 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>EDMOND MEMORIAL BULLDOGS</strong></h3> <hr /> <h4><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></h4> <p>Edmond Memorial coach Shane Cowherd has learned a thing or two in his tenure at Memorial, but few lessons have been more important than taking every game seriously.</p> <p>That’s why the Bulldogs seniors, including four-year starter [player_tooltip player_id="954194" first="JV" last="Seat"], have only lost seven games in their career and advanced to the state tournament all three years.</p> <p>Last season, the Bulldogs posted a 17-2 record that ended in Tulsa, where Memorial’s journey ended in a 44-47 nail-biter to Del City in the title game behind now Virginia Tech point guard Sean Pedulla.</p> <p>Now without Pedulla, the path before Memorial may require a little more carving, but one certainty remains: you can never count out the Edmond Memorial Bulldogs from connection.</p> <p>This year, the Bulldogs have little on their minds but to finally bring home a title, potentially its first since 2013.</p> <hr /> <h4><strong>KEY RETURNING PLAYERS</strong></h4> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="954194" first="JV" last="Seat"]</strong> - Sr. G-F</p> <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <li>2021: 13.6p, 6.1r</li> </ul> <p>A fourth-year starter, Seat had the rare opportunity to start for the Edmond Memorial Bulldogs as a freshman in 2018. Headed into his senior year, there are few who can contend with Seat's knowledge of the system, nor the game in general. The Abeline-Christian commit's encore comes after scoring 13.6 points-a-game his junior season, which ended in the State Championship game.</p> <p>Also the son of a college basketball player, Seat is a cerebral forward with feel for the game, as his basketball journey has been one of trial-and-error and continual improvement. The product of his labor is a dynamic skill-set adapted for Cowherd's scheme. Seat can play in the post and the wing, can defend in the paint and on the perimeter, can score with his back to the bucket or from the college 3-point line. It's an overused statement for some, but he can really do everything, and the Bulldogs will feed off Seat's versatility.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958417" first="Gabe" last="Seat"]</strong> - Sr. SG</p> <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <li>2021: 7p, 1.5a</li> </ul> <p>The brother of JV, Gabe is a sharpshooting extraordinaire, and the senior has improved since his 7-points-a-game one year ago.</p> <p>In 2021, Seat was able to lend the Bulldogs some timely 3-pointers in important moments, but this season, Cowherd's crew will lean on Seat to be a consistent shooter throughout each quarter, each game, all season. He's impressively accurate from the catch, with a fluid and focused release every time. His speed has improved in the past calendar year as fewer of his shots get contested on the perimeter.</p> <p>Seat is also a talented passer with great vision for the floor. Rob, the Seats' father and a former Oklahoma Christian guard, made sure his sons at least inherited that trait from him.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1010309" first="Will" last="Cain"]</strong> - Sr. F</p> <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <li>2021: 3.5p, 2r</li> </ul> <p>Cowherd has relied upon players like Cain in the past to carry the torch of Memorial's winning tradition, and leadership will be Cain's burden to carry this season.</p> <p>As a solid contributor on last season's state tournament run, Cain stepped up for the Bulldogs in crucial moments with his scoring, rebounding and defensive skills.</p> <p>This year, Memorial will need more of what they saw last year, consistently, as well as culture-building in the locker room from the 6-foot-6-inch power forward.</p> <p><strong>OTHER KEY RETURNERS</strong></p> <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <li>Sr. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1164866" first="Austin" last="Osby"]</strong> -- <em>1p, .5a in 2021</em></li> <li>Sr. <strong>Liam Fowler</strong> - <em>1p, .5a in 2021</em></li> <li>Jr. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1079009" first="Carter" last="Hjelmstad"]</strong> -- <em>2p, 2.4r in 2021</em></li> <li>Jr. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1068569" first="Justin" last="Ayubi"]</strong> -- <em>1.5p, 1.5a in 2021</em></li> </ul> <p><strong>KEY NEWCOMERS</strong></p> <ul style="list-style-type: square;"> <li>Sr. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1170006" first="Will" last="Anderson"]</strong></li> <li>Sr. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1228008" first="Lyndon" last="Beadles"]</strong></li> <li>Jr. <strong>Nate Brown</strong></li> <li>Jr. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1142996" first="Campbell" last="Coleman"]</strong></li> <li>So. <strong>Ciaran Pedulla</strong></li> </ul> <hr /> <h4><strong>NOTABLE</strong></h4> <p>Included in Edmond Memorial’s winning tradition is its tradition of winning regular season tournaments. In the past three years, the Bulldogs have brought home hardware in all tournaments but three.</p> <p>And they’ve had no easy paths in those tournaments, either.</p> <p>In 2019, the Bulldogs claimed wins against No. 2 Midwest City and No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe -- who bested Memorial earlier in the season at the Edmond Open -- on back-to-back nights to win the Bishop McGuinness Classic.</p> <p>Memorial later beat Midwest City again to claim the Bruce Grey Tournament the same season.</p> <p>In 2020, Memorial had to beat Lawton, which would seen be ranked fourth in 6A, to hand the Wolverines one of only three losses in the regular season at the Edmond Open. In the Championship game, the Bulldogs took down crosstown rival Edmond North, ranked No. 7 at the time.</p> <p>Then, again, in the McGuinness Classic, Memorial had to beat three ranked teams in three nights, claiming the championship with a win against fourth-ranked Midwest City.</p> <p>Last season, Memorial took down perhaps Oklahoma’s best dynasty, Kingfisher, in the championship game of the Edmond Open. For the fourth-ranked YellowJackets, which would eventually win their third title in five years, it was only their fourth loss in four years.</p> <hr /> <h4><strong>CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY</strong></h4> <p>1993 (5A) -- d. Bartlesville 68-67</p> <p>2011 (6A) -- d. Midwest City 53-43</p> <p>2013 (6A) -- d. Midwest City 49-48</p>