2019 Frank Haith Team Camp: Edmond Memorial team review (Editorial)
As team camp season has come upon us in Oklahoma, I am using this series of evaluations as a means to gauge the progress of some high school teams and their respective players headed into the 2019-2020 season. Note that…
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Continue ReadingAs team camp season has come upon us in Oklahoma, I am using this series of evaluations as a means to gauge the progress of some high school teams and their respective players headed into the 2019-2020 season. Note that each of the evaluations below are only partial evaluations, rather than in-depth breakdowns.
The Team:
Edmond Memorial finished its 2018-2019 campaign with a 26-3 record and a semifinal exit to eventual runner-up Putnam City North.
Memorial, who spent much of the 2018-2019 season polled as the top team in Oklahoma’s premier class, graduated four seniors, three of whom were regulars in the starting lineup. The fourth was a staple in the rotation, usually as the first or second player off of the bench. However, watching Memorial at the Frank Haith Team Camp at the University of Tulsa on Saturday, it didn’t appear slowed down or unpracticed, a testament to the discipline fostered primarily by head coach Shane Cowherd. I believe this team, despite losing four heavy contributors in the 2019 class, remains a strong contender in 6A.
What I love:
As a team, the most notable factor to its success at the Frank Haith Team Camp was the malleability of its members; each of its guards could rotate to unorthodox positions in the short corners, high or even low posts, while its forwards were unafraid to pop out to the perimeter to lend some spacing to off-ball cutters. It’s truly one of the more versatile squads in the state. Sophomore forward JV Seat is an especially versatile athlete who plays a big part in this.
Memorial also displayed excellence in the assist game, where a large share of the Bulldogs’ point-totals occurred. Its down-floor passing was indicative of the chemistry a team of semi-familiar faces has already established. Point guards Sean Pedulla (Jr.) and CJ Campbell (Sr.) are two of the players whom enforce long plays, namely.
What I Don’t Love:
The greatest factors I can dock Memorial for, the Bulldogs are powerless to.
First, there are many new faces in the rotation whom played sparingly in the 2018-2019 season, a task Cowherd will be responsible for correcting. Players such as Michael Forhan and Ben White are undoubtedly talented players who can compete at a high level, but still remain mostly untested in 6A basketball.
Sizing will also be an obstacle for the Bulldogs this season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Losing 2019 graduates Drew Tennial and Jacob Thionnet, whom anchored the top-to-bottom defensive duties of the Bulldogs last season, has created a noticeable gap in length and height for the Bulldogs. Players like Jake Royal, Will Cain and Michael Forhan will play pivotal roles in bridging that gap.
Scouting report:
Sean Pedulla 2021 point guard
The leader of the new school, Sean Pedulla, returns as a starter for the Bulldogs and is already establishing himself as the go-to guy for this team. As a floor general, Pedulla handles the ball well, shoots from the dribble and has a quick release. He can get to the rim and is a relentless finisher. Pedulla does all of the little things right; he defends the perimeter well, is a ball hawk for steals and rebounds noticeably well for a guard. He even dipped into the high post on a few occasions at the camp and helped to generate movement.
Jake Royal 2020 wing
Jake Royal, who also returns as a starter from its previous season, served a more expansive role at the camp. Royal shot the ball well on the spot-up, moved off-ball to create holes in the defense and rebounded exceptionally well. Royal is an explosive athlete with an uncanny capacity to elevate to the rim with a tight gather, making him a deadly weapon for Cowherd’s crew from fifteenth street. Royal will likely serve a similar role to last season, but picking up some of the duties of Thoinnet and Tennial as well.
Michael Forhan 2020 forward
Michael Forhan stood strong over the weekend and appeared collected in his role. Forhan has the size to enforce his presence on opposing defenders. He’s also movement savvy, practiced in getting himself open and catching defenders off-guard. Forhan also passes very well out of the post to Passing well out of the post.
Keyshon Spotwood 2021 guard
Keyshon Spotwood got to the rim with unprecedented ease at the camp, and finished with the ball fearlessly with contact. Spotwood has the potential to be a breakout player for the Bulldogs with his quickness and ball-handling skills, which he can develop into becoming a great drive-and-dish type of player.
JV Seat 2022 forward (pictured above, left)
Another returning contributor, sophomore JV Seat now appears to carry the confidence of an upperclassman, an allowance given to him by his experience and already-impressive resume. Seat was the x-factor at the post for the Bulldogs, using his footwork to dance around defenders and finish through contact. He has developed an array of new post moves in the short time since the end of the season, a prospect you’ll want to get in the gym to see. Seat also led the floor on some occasions and got the ball on the perimeter, a facet of his game he has been working to develop.
CJ Campbell 2020 point guard (pictured above, right)
CJ Campbell is the clear-cut leader of the green Edmond Memorial squad and is, in many ways, the centerpiece of what the Bulldogs accomplish on both ends of the floor. Cowherd has entrusted Campbell, whose scoring capabilities have grown vastly, with somewhat of a green-light playmaking responsibility. Campbell is a great penetrator, allowing him to hit shots near the rim or dish the ball inward to a post on the short drive. He has certainly gained more confidence in his game.
Gabe Seat 2022 wing
Gabe Seat will have the opportunity to see minutes for the Bulldogs for the first time in 2019. A great spot-up shooter, Seat can seriously stretch the floor with bold shooting and high-efficiency playmaking from the wing, but can also play on-ball, driving to find the cross-court pass to set up a fellow shooter.
Ben White 2020 combo
Ben White has been an impressive sight this summer, solidifying his name as a hidden gem in the 2020 class in his AAU route. He continued with his newfound confidence at the camp, rebounding the ball very well, shooting, and playing ultra-tight defense. His versatility was most impressive as he defended the baseline-to-paint defensively but mostly played on the perimeter on the opposite end of the floor.
Will Cain 2022 wing
Will Cain did a great job of making off-ball cuts to expose defenses in the middle or corner, especially. Cain can use his dribble to penetrate and score, an addition that the Bulldogs won’t take for granted. He’s also exceptionally Versatile, playing at the wing on most instances but posting up on occasions to resolve spacing issues, allowing more free court for his teammates.
Jacob Eichler 2020 guard
The Red Assassin, Jacob Eichler, was a great bench contributor for the Bulldogs, picking up many of the remaining responsibilities in passing the ball, shooting and setting his teammates up for plays.
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