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SEC coaches in favor of using experimental 30-second shot clock

Mike Slive

Mike Slive

AP

Two weeks ago at its conference meetings, the ACC announced that it would experiment with a 30-second shot clock for exhibition games during the 2014-15 season. Some coaches have already expressed their approval of the move, and their feedback following those exhibition games will be key as the conference (and maybe college basketball as a whole) considers changing a clock that has been set to 35 seconds since 1993.

And if the coaches in the SEC have their way, they’ll also be able to experiment with the 30-second shot clock in 2014-15. At the SEC’s annual league meetings this week, men’s basketball coaches have approved the use of a 30-second shot clock during exhibition games.

All that’s left now is the stamp of approval from the conference’s athletic directors, who will discuss the matter in their own meetings this week.

For some a quicker shot clock would surely mean an increase in scoring, while detractors have opined that defenses are at an advantage due to the fact that they have to defend for five fewer seconds. As for South Carolina head coach Frank Martin, he sees another issue at play when it comes to increasing the amount of offense in college basketball games.

“I think the shot clock is the last concern why it doesn’t flow. The NBA has a 24-second shot clock and I just watched an NBA team score 36 points in a half the other day,” Martin said. “We’re talking playoffs, not a boring game at the end of January.

“Our problem is not with shot clock or defensive styles. Our problem is we’re under-teaching the game at the grassroots level.”


In an attempt to increase scoring in recent years the NCAA allowed its officials to crack down on contact on and off the basketball, and there was also the adjustment to the block/charge call that certainly agitated some participants (and fans, as well). It will be interesting to see what the findings in these exhibition games are with regards to the effectiveness of the 30-second shot clock, since those results will likely impact what other conferences across the country choose to do.

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