SCREW THE SHOT CLOCK…GET RID OF QUARTERS in Illinois High School Basketball (IHSA).
Let’s be clear, I am a huge proponent of adding the shot clock to Illinois High School basketball, I just don’t see it happening.
While the Illinois High School Association has been navigating through the world wide Covid-19 pandemic, it likely has not given them much time to discuss the less important things in life, such as the SHOT CLOCK.
While the SHOT CLOCK has been a growing topic of conversation, I think the IHSA should consider a different alternative.
If the end goal of SHOT CLOCKS are to improve the flow of the game and improve fan fare, just hear me out for a second.
Currently, in Illinois we run 4 quarters at 8 minutes apiece for a grand total of 32 minutes per game. With time-outs along with end of quarters, there is a possibility of 14 game stops (not counting mask breaks). To me, that’s a lot and once I put “14 stops” in print, it sounds like a ton.
While I don’t think the high school game in Illinois is broken, I think if we should consider what the state of Wisconsin is doing.
Prior to Covid-19 and a few years ago, I was sitting in a high school gym in Wisconsin watching a game and looked up to the clock to recognize something a little bit different.
What I didn’t know was that they run 18 minute halves instead of 4 quarters. As I was watching the game I turned to a coach from one of the local schools scouting the game and I said, “Coach, what do think about 2-halves versus 4-quarters for high school basketball in Wisconsin?”.
His answer was simple and I have taken as my own, he said, “I LOVE IT! It allows for a better flow to a game and eliminates the end of the 1st quarter and end of the 3rd quarter stalls”
Since the National Federation of State High School Associations voted down the shot clock discussion in April 2020, I don’t see the conversations re-surfacing right away in Illinois, thus this blog. With high school athletic departments recovering from lost revenue, I also can’t imagine the IHSA is going to mandate an added expenditure into shot clocks, much less an added person at the table to monitor them to run them accordingly.
So, here I am! I’m putting it on paper and asking for anybody and everybody to share this blog, provide feedback in the comments below and give this concept some sunshine. WE as a state can make a simple improvement to a wonderful game at no additional expense and no additional burden on high school budgets and staffing needs. It’s my opinion that 2 Halves versus 4 Quarters will improve BOTH flow and fan fare by taking away 2 additional breaks and potentially adding minutes of basketball to each game. #2HalvesINILLINOISbasketball
Coach Jason Warner
Remember to Make someone Else’s Life Better Through Basketball
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