Time ticked off the clock in the Northern 4A Regional championship game against Bishop Manogue last year, and Douglas coach Corey Thacker couldn't do a thing.
The Tigers had clawed to within two points with a little more than two minutes left, then everything screeched to a halt. The affair had been turned into a game of keep away -- from the Tigers.
Douglas was forced to foul and never came back, losing, 56-43. The tactic was within the rules, and Thacker said he would've done the same thing if he held the lead. But what if the game had been played with a shot clock?
"I'm not saying we would've won the game or there would be a different outcome, but it definitely would've added different strategic elements for the game for both teams," Thacker said. "... If they would have had to score in 35 seconds, it would give us three more shots at the hoop, maybe the outcome would've been different."
Thacker's opinion is hardly radical among other high school coaches in the Northern 4A. Many, like McQueen boys coach John Franklin and Bishop Manogue girls coach Craig Holt, are ready for high schools to join the modern era.
Eight states, including California, where many Northern Nevada schools participate in tournaments, have adopted shot clocks.
Many follow the NCAA rules on the clock, which means that a ball must hit the rim within 35 seconds for men and 30 seconds for women or else it's a turnover. The rule increases the flow of the game by forcing teams to shoot more often and rewarding staunch defenses that prevent a shot from going up.
The National Federation of State High School Associations recently rejected adding it to the rule book, but a recent USA Today story reported that it's gaining momentum nationally.
Yet, the issue has gained little traction with the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association.
"Maybe people have given up the fight. The positives and negatives have been tossed about so much, but asking schools to come up with more money in this economic climate is not something we are interested in," said Jay Beesemyer, NIAA assistant director. "That alone is enough to sour the conversation."
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Logistics
Beesemyer said the main problem with adding shot clocks is the expense incurred by each school, in the face of recent budget cuts. Chris Wagoner, who does scoreboard sales for Daktronics in Northern California, said the average cost of a shot clock and operating switchboard is $2,000.
Once the shot clocks are installed, schools must pay someone to operate them during the junior varsity and varsity boys and girls games. Washoe County School District coordinator of student activities Ken Cass said that could be as much as $120 for a home game, which includes junior varsity and varsity boys and girls games. The away school usually holds the freshmen level at its home court and would be forced to pay a shot-clock operator for two games, as well.
"Again, it's going to come down to dollars and cents, and I know we're not talking about a ton of money in the big picture, but it's tough right now," Beesemyer said. "It's probably not an ideal time to talk about adding stuff."
Shot clocks also are not recognized in the NFHS rule book. The NIAA complies with national rules for all sports, and if it added a shot clock, the state would lose its representation on the rules committee.
"If we were allowed to either have a shot clock or not, it would be up to each school, school superintendent and district and what they want to do," Beesemyer said. "We wouldn't mandate it, we would just put the word out and go with that."
Pros and cons
Even in a perfect economic climate, the shot clock still is a controversial issue.
Galena boys coach Tom Maurer comes from a time when teams ran motion offenses until they found the perfect shot. He has coached at Galena for more than 20 years, and his teams have been known to take their time on offense. To Maurer, the addition of a shot clock would be detrimental to teaching kids the fundamentals of basketball, but if it happens, he is willing to adjust.
"This is my 27th year into it, and I'm not into change," Maurer said. "It teaches things. Nowadays, coaches attack the rim and don't teach things like jump stops, and that's why I see a lot of charges. The motion offense teaches kids how to cut up screens and read defenses."
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McQueen's Franklin, however, thinks it's time the high school game catches up to college and the NBA. Franklin, who played college basketball at Nevada, said a shot clock prepares them for that next level.
Thacker doesn't foresee the change affecting teams much, if at all. In an era of run-and-gun AAU basketball, many teams are already playing fast. Like most schools in Nevada, he has taken his teams to California and has been barely affected by the shot clock.
At the wire
The biggest change would occur in the final minutes. Several games have already been decided this year because the other team stalled. Franklin said his team defeated Hug early in the year by stalling, and Douglas lost to Galena thanks to a stall.
To Thacker, it's time high school basketball matched the modern game.
"It's something Nevada should strongly consider just to make the games even more high scoring," Thacker said. "And it makes coaches use strategy more into making kids have solid possessions on offense and defense."
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