Is it time for state to phase in shot clocks?
Most people involved with high school basketball across Oklahoma think the sport is in one of the best places it has ever been.
Every classification seems to be getting deeper each season, with more and more teams vying for the eight spots in the state tournament. Colleges from across the country continue to recruit Oklahoma athletes, and the number of high school players signing letters of intent rises every year. The product on the court is as fluid as it has ever been.
So why does one proposed
rule change create such a fuss while having just as much, if
not more, support every time it's mentioned?
Following a national trend, more and more coaches across the state are in favor of adding a shot clock to high school basketball. There are numerous pros and cons to the idea, like aiding the flow of the game or the cost associated with it. Yet one thing is clear, discussions, whether at the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association or among parents in the stands, have been had and are likely to continue.
If there's a chance to continue improving the product, why wouldn't someone take that opportunity?
“I very much have mixed emotions about it ,” said
David G lover, the OSSAA assistant director who oversees basketball. “Maybe it's good for 6A but not for Class B. I don't think there' s a good answer for it.”
Oklahoma, like most states, follows the National Federation of State High School Association guidelines, or NFHS, which does not include a shot clock.
Arkansas, however, received approval from the NFHS last April to begin using a 35-second shot clock in all Class 6A competition this year, including during the state tournament. For the past two seasons, Arkansas has experimented with shot clocks during invitational tournaments.
California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington and the District of Columbia use shot clocks for high school competition.
Talks for a shot clock most often come up when one team holds the ball for an extended period of time, sometimes minutes, when trying to hold a lead. It slows the game down, limits scoring opportunities and results in jeers from most fans.
“I have held the ball to win multiple times, and I've been on the opposite side when a team was holding against me,” Edmond Memorial boys coach Shane Cowherds aid .“I' m going to use the rules as they are outlined to our team's best advantage.
“With that being said, I'm firmly in favor of a shot clock and feel like it's vital to improve the game.”
Many coaches at both large and small schools echo Cowherd's statement that a shot clock could improve the game in Oklahoma. It would prevent stalling, would help with the game flow and would further help all athletes prepare for the college game more.
One of the biggest arguments is the cost. Shot clocks can be anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000 if a school has a scoreboard that is compatible. That cost doesn't include the installation or other expenses, either.
In addition, if there's a shot clock, someone who knows how will have to operate it, which is another cost. And money isn't something that schools have laying around these days.
“Schools have to have someone to run a play clock during football games, so what's different than doing that for a basketball game,” Moore girls coach Brent Hodges said. “If you give schools time to build the expense of a shot clock into their budget, they will have time to prepare.”
And time will be needed. A shot clock isn't going to suddenly appear next season. If a shot clock is going to come to Oklahoma high school basketball, it will likely be rolled out with a test phase in invitational tournaments or in larger classifications, similar to Arkansas.
A change could also come if the NFHS decides to add a shot clock into its rules. Then a majority of high schools across the country would transition to using one.
Numerous other coaches agree a shot clock could be beneficial for the game, but they also like keeping high school basketball different from college or professional leagues.
There is no short-term solution. Most coaches and administrators want to continue growing the game, and a shot clock is the next change that could do that.
Does Oklahoma high school basketball need a shot clock? No.
Could adding a shot clock continue to grow the game? Yes.
Change seems imminent, but it's not going to happen overnight.
“I'm really not an advocate of a shot clock for everybody,” Glover said. “But it's something we talk about nationally and discussions about adding it are happening all of the time.”