Chad Courrier: Shot clocks are coming, more quickly than we thought
Jun. 10—Both Mankato public schools activities directors shook their heads at the same time.
Will the Big Nine Conference use the shot clock for boys and girls basketball next season?
Neither Mankato West's Joe Johnson nor Mankato East's Todd Waterbury believe the entire conference will be ready for that change by November.
On Tuesday, the Minnesota State High School League voted to allow each conference to decide if they want to use 35-second shot clocks next season, provided all conference teams have the equipment and personnel to operate them.
There will likely be some games that will use a shot clock next season, but there will be plenty of booster clubs holding bake sales and golf tournaments to raise the money to pay for the clocks and their installation.
Shot clocks were already coming to local gyms for the 2023-24 seasons, but the plan was to give all schools a year to get ready for the change.
It's not surprising that some programs are getting antsy to use shot clocks. There are a few schools, and tournaments, that have already used shot clocks so they will likely be ahead of the curve.
Johnson and Waterbury said the shot clocks at West and East will be installed before next season, and it's possible that some Big Nine teams will want to play games using the shot clocks.
Proponents of the shot clock eagerly await games with more flow that showcase players' abilities. Opponents fear that more shots favor the most talented teams, resulting in more lopsided outcomes than there already are.
Shot clocks likely won't have much of an effect on games; very rarely does a team hold the ball for 35 seconds, in part by choice and in part because a turnover is the most likely result of a possession that long.
But there will be end-of-game situations where the shot clock will affect possessions.
Once fully implemented, there will be issues, such as the operation of shot clocks and some controversial violations as officials get used to keeping another eye on that. It would be tough to expect a two-person crew to officiate a game with a shot clock, so there will be an extra strain on the already-dwindling officials pool.
The shot clock is coming quickly, for better or worse. The decision to allow more widespread use next season makes it more real.
Chad Courrier is the Free Press sports editor. He's at 507-344-6353, ccourrier@mankatofreepress.com or on Twitter @ChadCourrier.
