High school basketball
If you’re a high school basketball coach who prefers to run a half-court offense and demands 17 passes before your team can attempt a shot, I have some unsolicited advice.
It’s time to start tweaking your playbook.
That’s because there’s a good chance Illinois will become the 10th state to use a 35-second shot clock. The move is likely within three years.
“I believe it’s no longer ‘if’ a shot clock comes to high school basketball in Illinois, but ‘when,’ ” said Kurt Gibson, the associate executive director for the IHSA. “Listening to my colleagues from around the country makes me come to the conclusion there will be a shot clock.”
Gibson couldn’t verify exactly when, but he was more certain that it would be introduced only for the varsity, not freshman or sophomore levels.
The National Federation of High Schools will announce its rule changes for the 2018-19 season within the next few weeks. Gibson doesn’t believe adding a shot clock will be part of those rule changes.
“I don’t expect it, based on what I’ve heard,” Gibson said. “But if a shot clock were to be part of the federation’s rules changes, I don’t believe it would be something we’d implement next season.
“It’s something our (IHSA) board of directors would have to vote on. I believe it’s more likely to be approved by the federation next April or May.”
Of course, one of the biggest obstacles regarding the shot clock is cost. The installation of a shot clock and paying a person to run it will cost approximately $5,000.
“My instincts tell me people will find a way to pay for it,” Gibson said. “That’s another reason why I can see this getting implemented in the 2020-21 season. That’s even if the federation approves of it next year and our (IHSA’s) board of directors approves of it, we’re going to need to give people (schools) more time to budget for it and implement it.”
As far as St. Rita coach Gary DeCesare is concerned, the sooner the shot clock is implemented the better. DeCesare coached with a 35-second shot clock for five seasons at St. Raymond in New York.
“It will make the game more exciting,” DeCesare said. “There won’t be any more 30-25 final scores. Possessions will become more important. It will be a great thing for the game.”
Marist girls basketball coach Mary Pat Connolly played with a shot clock during her college days at Illinois. She believes it will add more excitement and, ultimately, increase attendance.
“It’s going to make the game more fast-paced, which will put more fans in the bleachers,” she said. “It will prevent teams from playing stall ball and add more offense and scoring to the game. It’s going to be exciting.”
From my viewpoint, most boys basketball teams try to play up-tempo and launch a shot well in advance of 35 seconds. The shot clock will have a far greater impact on the girls game.
However, it’s at the end of each quarter where the shot clock will have the biggest impact on both boys and girls games.
Teams no longer longer be able hold the ball in the final minute for one shot. And teams trying to erase a deficit won’t have to constantly foul.
Make no mistake, coaches are going to adapt their strategies
“I think it could be a good thing,” Lincoln-Way East boys basketball coach Rich Kolimas said. “The last-second shot is one of the most exciting parts of the game, no matter if it’s at the end of a quarter, the half or the end of a game.
“Coaches are going to have game plan more too. Beyond that, I don’t think it will make much of an impact on the boys game.”
Tinley Park girls basketball coach Ryan Honan would prefer to leave well enough alone and not add a shot clock.
“I think scoring will go up and that’s good for the average fan,” he said. “But I think it punishes teams that work harder to get a good shot. Coaches who say ‘they don’t care when you get a shot off as long as it’s a good shot’ can’t say that anymore. You’re going to have to teach more one-on-one skills.”
And developing skills for college is another reason DeCesare supports adding a shot clock, which the NCAA added in 1985.
“We should have as many of the same rules as college as we can to get kids ready for the next level,” DeCesare said. “It’s great for the high school game.”
We’re going to find out.
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