Testing out the shot clock: Local basketball coaches supporting idea

By Calvin Silvers

The Missouri State High School Athletic Association has approved using a 35-second shot clock for the upcoming season, applying it to varsity regular season tournaments and one-day shootouts.

The decision made Missouri the 28th state to implement a shot clock in high school basketball. However, Lafayette boys basketball coach Kevin Bristol feels this change is long overdue.

“I think it’s a great idea for the sport and I wish we would have gotten it a couple of years ago when it started to become introduced when the idea was flowing around,” Bristol said.

With neighboring states like Nebraska and Iowa already using shot clocks, Missouri teams knew this change was coming. In fact, Benton girls basketball has already begun practicing with one.

Head coach Chris Michaels already has his team playing fast, but even with the 35-second shot clock, players often don’t realize how quickly that time can pass when it’s in play.

“It makes more sense why coach wants me to play like this, it’s (shot clock) coming down the road,” Michaels said. “My seniors know that, like, even though they may not play the shot clock, the people underneath them are going to and so, they’re doing a good job of reminding kids, yes, this year we may be able to play slower than next year.”

The estimated cost for implementing a shot clock ranges from $1,500 to $5,000 per gym, with more extensive costs if gyms can’t combine the shot clocks with existing technology. For smaller schools that might struggle to cover these costs, coaches hope MSHSAA has a plan in place to offer assistance before schools need to rely on community funding.

“It would really be hard for me to watch a friend not get to play a home game because they can’t afford the shot clock for a year,” Michaels said. “So I’m sure there’s people that would help in all those communities and those types of things.”

Another potential roadblock to introducing the shot clock fully includes finding another person to work the shot clock on game days. Michaels and other coaches would prefer the shot clock to be operated from the scorer’s table rather than by a referee.

With games requiring a three-person officiating crew, the challenge may lie in finding that third person specifically to manage the clock.

“They (schools) are used to the same two operators and now they have to add a third,” Michaels said. “It’s finding that third person that will stay after school and work those games, and nobody’s making a ton of money on that.”

As for these two teams, both coaches are fans of the new addition and believe it benefits their team, despite maybe having to change one or two things.

“We may have to be more precise in how we do things because we don’t have time to waste,” Bristol said. “We have that 30 seconds so when it comes down to 10 seconds left in the shot clock, we’re going to have to make some decisions.”

“We like the idea of the shot clock, we love to defend,” Michaels said. “They don’t have to defend for a minute and a half now. To defend for a minute and a half, and then somebody hits a three in your face it’s just demoralizing, but to defend for 40 seconds and somebody banks a three off of the glass is a little less momentum shifting.”

Benton girls will begin their season on Nov. 25 against St. Michael the Archangel and Lafayette will begin their season around the same time.