The shot clock has been added to high school basketball around the US since the 2022-2023 season; however, some states, including Illinois schools, expect to fully implement its use for boys and girls basketball by the 2026-2027 season.
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has had a key role in Illinois’ implementation of the shot clock, giving three to four years of notice to schools in order to budget for the likelihood of “thousands of dollars” required for installation.
Illinois waited to implement the rule until 2026–27 to observe how other states handled the transition.
“So the NFHS, which is the National Federation of High School Sports…[in] 2020 or 2021…started to allow states to adopt [the shot clock], if they wanted to.
[This process is] called a state association adoption. [It] doesn’t mean you have to do it, but states have the choice to be able to, [and] they have the ability to make that decision for themselves,” IHSA Assistant Executive Director, Chris Schwarz, commented.
Currently, 32 of the 50 state associations have adopted the shot clock into their play.
The IHSA has looked to these 32 state associations as they make their transition into implementing the shot clock. They’ve noted many key benefits that the shot clock is bringing to the high school game across the nation.
For instance, one benefit that the shot clock has had is that it forces teams to be more consistent and run plays that don’t take as long to set up.
Another benefit to the game is that it removes the “stall” tactic that many high school teams have gotten used to using.
“You get to the end of a game…maybe get to the end of the half [or] end of the quarter, whatever the case may be… and the offense stalls, whether they’re dribbling around, passing around, and they try to run the clock out.
“[Stalling] is a strategy, obviously, that teams can use if they have a lead to try to sustain that lead or keep the lead. [The shot clock] will force teams to kind of change that strategy, especially at the end of a game,” Schwarz stated.
A third benefit is that it can help student-athletes prepare for the next level as the college-level has had a shot clock (of varying lengths) since 1984.
“It’s similar to the college game, and I think a lot of what we see as kind of a trickle down effect where, maybe it starts at the collegiate level and then eventually gets into high schools,” Schwarz noted.
And although there are clear benefits and a hopeful movement towards elevated excitement to the game, the IHSA’s research has revealed that the shot clock will not be as different as it might seem.
“Statistics show that roughly 84% of high school possessions already end in less than 35 seconds,” Schwarz stated.
In the end, the shot clock will modernize IHSA basketball and change how coaches strategize.
For Unit 5, this was not a cheap or easy purchase; however, both high schools have installed shot clocks in their gyms.
Unfortunately, the installation of the actual shot clock is not the only cost. Temples explains, “Our scoreboard and our table were different systems; to get them all tied together, we got shot clocks, scoreboards, [and] tables that all combine together.”
Another direct cost increase associated with this change is that each school will have to pay additional workers to manage the clock during games.
“Finding people and knowing how to run them[is very difficult]. We’re very lucky we have former officials and we have adults who have worked many ISU games.” Normal West Athletic Director Wes Temples explained.
“I’ve been in a lot of different conversations about the shot clock, so one [challenge] is just about having someone now that’s trained at our tables to work the games and then someone else that you have to pay to work the games potentially,” Normal West Principal, Angie Codron added.
Codron also noted that she was at a leadership conference for the IHSA, and the topic of the shot clock implementation was one of the many conversations that student-athletes and IHSA officials had.
“There was a question-and-answer and [talk about] making sure that [shot clocks are] in our gyms and also people to work the tables, and so then [students were] asking if there is going to be a penalty if we don’t have a shot clock,” Codron pointed out.
It’s because of these conversations as well as the years to prepare that Unit 5, and specifically Normal West, is ready to add the shot clock to their game-time rituals next year.
Girl’s Varsity Head Coach Corey Ostling shared how he thinks the shot clocks will change up the way that teams will coach.
“I think it is drastically going to change my end of game, end of quarter strategy. We have a defined system,our girls know what to do in those situations and we’re gonna have to revamp it,” Head West girls basketball coach Corey Ostling shared.
Other Big12 Basketball News:
Normal West boy’s basketball takes a 53-74 loss to the 23-6 Richwoods Knights team on Friday, Feb. 13.
Normal West will face our cross town rival Normal Community at home Friday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.Normal West girl’s basketball finish the regular season on a high note taking down Peoria Notre Dame 43-40 heading into into their first playoff game on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
They went on to take down the Urbana Tigers with a 54-8 win. They look to face the Bloomington Purple Raiders for the Regional Championship Thursday, Feb 19 at 6 p.m.
Normal Community boys take down the Pekin Dragons 68-34 and look ahead to a 16-10 Alton at the Wooden Shoes Shootout on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 5 p.m.
The Ironmen head to lose 2 in a row with a 51-56 loss to Alton and a 47-58 to Cardinal Ritter College Prep. The Iron look to bounce back with an away game at Normal West Friday, Feb 20 at 7 p.m
Normal Community girls end the regular season taking a loss to a non-conference loss to Mahomet-Seymour 42-65.
The Lady Iron ended up losing in the regional semi-final. They finished the season 15-16 and placed 2nd in the BIG12.
Bloomington boys take a home loss to Champaign Centennial making the Purple Raiders 10-18 on the season.
The Purple Raiders look to take on a 10-14 Champaign Central in a Regional playoff game Wednesday, Feb 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Bloomington girls are able to get over a 2 game losing streak by beating Champaign Centennial 67-45 also making the Lady Raiders 10-18 going into playoffs.
The Lady Raiders take on Normal West at home for the regional championship Thursday, Feb 19 at 6 p.m.
IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE A WILDCAT!
