The NBA has had a 24-second shot clock since the 1950s. Women’s college basketball currently has a 30-second shot clock. Yet the men’s college game still has a 35-second shot clock, as it has since 1993, when it went from 45 seconds to 35.
However, with scoring dropping again (the national average is 67.78 points per game, down nearly four points from a season ago), the shot clock continues to be a hot-button topic. The NCAA has decided to experiment with a 30-second shot clock, along with a 4-foot restricted arc, in the NIT this season.
“It will add to the number of possessions per game, but we don’t know exactly how many,” NCAA vice president of men’s basketball championships Dan Gavitt told me. “And we think it may help the pace of play and the flow of the game.”
We polled more than 450 college basketball coaches on whether they want the shot clock to remain the same or be changed. Division I coaches of all varieties -- high-major, mid-major and low-major head coaches, as well as assistants -- weighed in.
Here are the results:
30-second clock -- 270 votes (59 percent)
35-second clock -- 137 votes (30 percent)
24-second clock -- 48 votes (10 percent)
28-second clock -- 4 votes (1 percent)
45-second clock -- 1 vote
Total votes: 460
It’s clear the coaches favor a change to 30 seconds. Here’s what would need to happen for that change to be implemented:
May 13-15: The 13-member Men’s Basketball Rules Committee, chaired by Belmont coach Rick Byrd, will meet at the NCAA office in Indianapolis. The committee features four Division I head coaches (Byrd, Akron’s Keith Dambrot, Fairfield’s Sydney Johnson and Long Island-Brooklyn’s Jack Perri) along with non-Division I head coaches, athletics directors and NCAA secretary rules editor Art Hyland. This committee will receive feedback from coaches and discuss potential rules changes with the men’s basketball selection committee and the NABC committee board.
June 24: If the rules committee decides to recommend the change to the shot clock, the proposal will then go in front of the Playing Rules Oversight Panel (known as PROP) during a conference call. This panel takes into account legal and financial implications with any alteration. The panel is chaired by Mid-American Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher and includes a mix of conference commissioners and athletic directors. If the rule is passed by both the Men’s Basketball Rules Committee and the PROP, it can go into effect next season.
Here are some comments from coaches on why they voted the way they did:
30-second shot clock
Kansas head coach Bill Self: “I think 24 is too big of a jump -- unless many other NBA rules are adopted.”
Kentucky head coach John Calipari: “Shot clock would be fine if they put it to 30. It would have no effect on me.”
Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey: “Simple. More possessions.”
Richmond head coach Chris Mooney: “Thirty-five and 24 are arbitrary numbers. We're conditioned to think of those as the options, but we should look at it more basically -- 30 seconds is half of a minute, 10 seconds to cross the time line, 30 seconds to shoot. NBA is eight seconds to cross the time line, 24 seconds to shoot.”
Maine head coach Bob Walsh: “I don't think changing the shot clock is going to make the offense in the game better. It will create a few more possessions but won't really open up the game. I think what needs to change to make the offense better is the coaching -- at all levels -- needs to be more creative. That being said, I don't understand why all levels of basketball in this country play with different rules. Why do kids grow up playing without a shot clock in some states, different 3-point lines, four quarters versus two halves, etc.? Always seemed odd to me. Standing alone, my answer is 30 for now, but I think we need to work toward uniform rules and eventually get to 24, if that's what the NBA is doing.”
Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger: “We need to do whatever we can to make the game move faster for fan appeal. There’s more competition for fans' attention every year. We have to stay ahead of the curve.”
Rider assistant and former NBA player Donyell Marshall: “I think 30 seconds would be perfect. Thirty-five seconds is too long. Now, this is coming from a former player who, when I played, the shot clock was 45 seconds. I think 24 seconds would lead to too many bad shots. Thirty seconds is perfect. It would speed the game up, but players would still be able to pull it out and get a good shot.”
Montana State coach Brian Fish: “Thirty seconds would be perfect, but I would also like to see a 40-second shot clock added to all high school games. That way kids get a feel for it.”
Idaho State head coach Bill Evans: “I have mixed emotions. Those of us who have less talent would want to lengthen the clock. Shortening it plays right into the hands of the more talented. For excitement purposes, 30 would be fine. The game has changed, with the clock and the 3-point line. For me, the clock can be a real ally. I am not talking the four-corner thing, but just being really patient. I guess, for basketball in general, the 30-second clock would be fine. I guarantee it's better for the big boys. I guess in my league all things are supposed to be more equal anyway.”
24-second shot clock
Gonzaga head coach Mark Few: “It would make it uniform. I don’t know why we’re stuck at 35.”
Villanova head coach Jay Wright: “I think we should all have a 24-second shot. Consistent. It’s NBA and international. We should all learn to play the game the same way. The game is still the game. Everything you do to the game, everyone’s adjusted.”
Central Florida assistant Tim Thomas: “We should have a 24-second clock. We are the only country that doesn't have 24 seconds. There are [15-year-olds] in FIBA competition all over the world that are able to play with a 24-second shot clock. But we can't?”
South Florida head coach Orlando Antigua: “Coaching with the Dominican Republic national team, I really liked the 24-second shot clock. I think it should be uniform for all levels.”
Keeping it at 35 seconds
SMU coach-in-waiting Tim Jankovich: “We like it right where it is. We think taking time down will decrease scoring and make for more bad shots -- and increase zones. The NBA can get away with it because of defensive rules.”
Hartford assistant Bill Dooley: “I would keep it as is. Obviously, the lower the shot clock, the more possessions in a game. This generally favors the team with more talent. The beauty of college basketball is the teams with lesser talent do have a chance to succeed. In addition, the longer shot clock allows more teams to play offensively rather than one-on-one isolations.”
Old Dominion head coach Jeff Jones: "I don't support any changes to the shot clock. A shorter clock only benefits a small percentage of teams. Moving closer toward the NBA is not something I want to see happen to collegiate basketball.”
Florida A&M assistant Bruce Martin: “Keep it as is. The shorter the clock, the more it will favor the more talented team. Keep March Madness exciting and give the underdog a chance to continue to have a chance for the upset. Keep coaching relevant and not become a players' league like the NBA.”
Lehigh head coach Brett Reed: “It might not be popular because everyone likes change, but keep it as is. I think the longer clock adds to diversity of offensive action in the game."
28-second shot clock
Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak: “Twenty-four is too fast, 30 is not enough of a change. Seven is my lucky number. Seven seconds less than 35 and four by seven. No brainer.”
Others
Dayton coach Archie Miller: “Regardless of what they do with the shot clock, they need to consult with the NBA. When you shrink the clock, there are specific defensive rules that must go into the college game [defensive three seconds]. Widen the lane and even extend the 3. If you shrink the shot clock and allow college defensive philosophies, I’m not sure how it helps offense or pace or scoring. I know that 30 seconds or 24 with zones, presses to zone [Louisville, Syracuse will hold teams in 30s]. What people don’t realize is the NBA defensive game is so intricate that positioning is everything because you can’t be certain places or touch players in areas with and without the ball. I think the freedom of movement and space on offense is what has to change in college, not shot clocks, etc. They need to restrict defenses from all of the smoke and mirrors. There are no smoke and mirrors in the NBA; it's straight space and players, with concepts. I’m in favor of a shorter clock, only if rules defensively are changed with it. Can’t have one without the other."
Purdue coach Matt Painter: “I’d like to see an experimental shot clock at 30 in all exempt events next year, to start our collection of data. Giving an answer without is just guessing.”