Shot clocks to be used at state tournaments
The Arkansas Activities Association on Monday announced a rule has been passed implementing a shot clock to high school basketball. Article IV, Section 6, Rule 6A, which stated “All state high school boys' and girls' classifications will use a visible 35-second shot clock,” was passed with a 183-69 vote.
El Dorado boys' basketball coach Jimmy Porter praised the decision.
“I am excited that the shot clock has passed for Arkansas High School basketball,” Porter said. “As educators we do our best to prepare our kids for the next level in regard to college education. It just makes sense to have a shot clock. It prepares our athletes that will play at the next level with a shot clock.
“In regard to coaching, I believe it adds a new flare to strategy on both sides of the ball. While at Jonesboro, we used a shot clock for our Hurricane Classic tournament. The AAA asked us to stat the games and report our findings. It really came into play during the last minute or so of each quarter. Overall, I know the basketball community in Arkansas is excited to see the shot clock implemented.”
For regular season games, the rule will be effective during the 20222023 school year. Class 6A, the state's largest division, will use the shot clock this season in conference games and the state tournament.
El Dorado athletic director Phillip Lansdell said Tuesday the lowest bid, so far, for a shot clock was $9,000.
Porter, who in the spring replaced Gary Simmons as El Dorado's head basketball coach, has been putting his thumbprint on the program despite limitations due to COVID-19.
“The past month-and-ahalf we have really hit shooting and footwork fundamentals in regard to pivot foots and controlled stops,” said Porter, who has been sharing athletes with other sports during
the off-season.
“We support multi-sport athletics. Over half of our team plays football or baseball. That being said, we knew that we had limited time for install. We wanted to get our motion offense in with all our guys before football moved forward. As of (Monday), Arkansas has allowed football to move forward. We feel good about those guys understanding our basic motion concepts.
“We started Day 1 of pre-season (Monday) with our basketball-only kids. They brought a ton of energy in the weightroom and on the floor. We had arguably our best practice yet. Our main focus for the upcoming weeks will be our man-toman defensive concepts. We are still limited on what we can do but will improvise with film work and chairs. We are all excited for school to start and get back to some type of normal schedule.”