Should Michigan adopt a shot clock for high school basketball?

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Grand Rapids South Christian like to play a fast brand of basketball. 

So it was frustrating when a team got the lead against the Sailors and then stalled since there is no shot clock in Michigan.

“At Ottawa Hills, they hit a few threes and got up on us early,” South Christian senior Jake Vermaas said of a game on Jan. 11, 2023. “Then they’d just stand there at half court and stall. It was hard for us to come back. I mean, we did come back to win, but it was a grind. It’s not fun. We only won by a few points but they stalled the whole game.”

Vermaas would score in the final seconds and the Sailors - who would finish the season 25-4 and make it to the Division 2 title game - would pull out a 55-51 win. 

Just about every team in the state has had a school stall against them in the fourth quarter to preserve a lead.

Should we have a shot clock in high school basketball in Michigan?

The consensus is overwhelmingly “yes.”

Two years ago, there were only eight states that used the shot clock for varsity games. That number has grown to 17 states since the end of the 2022-23 school year.

“I think we one-thousand percent need it in the state of Michigan,” Muskegon High School coach Keith Guy said. “It’s a better flow for the game. It’s a better transition from high school to college. A lot of times, when a kid goes to college in the state of Michigan, the first time they see a shot clock is in college. And there is an adjustment period.”

T.J. Meerman, the coach of Grand Rapids Catholic Central, agrees.

“I don’t think I’ve met any coaches that doesn’t want it,” Meerman said. “I’m kind of a basketball purist. So I don’t like to see teams hold the ball and stall. We’ve had that happen to us multiple times the last few years. It happened in the state finals last year and the finals in 2018. Teams basically stall. They are just choosing not to shoot or pass and keep the ball up top. It takes away from what fans come to watch: A great game.”

There have been a few regular-season tournaments that have used a shot clock and it seemed to be a success.

“We used it for the MHSAA experiment for BCAM (Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan) and it was great,” Guy said of a tournament he hosted at Muskegon High. “We got a lot of positive feedback. I sit on the BCAM board. And what I’ve found out is, most coaches in the state want it. So it comes down to the ADs, for the most part, to figure out how to do it.”

East Kentwood High School used a shot clock in the Gotta Get It Classic regular-season tournament on Jan. 21. The Benton Harbor vs. Flint Beecher game was wild and fast paced, ending with a buzzer-beater and a 64-62 win for Benton Harbor. Each team likely would have stalled after they had the lead late, but a 35-second shot clock kept the game fast paced.

“Every possession is key,” East Kentwood coach Mike Thomas said. “You saw an example of that at the Gotta Get It Classic (which Thomas organized). In that Benton Harbor vs. Beecher game, you could see how the shot clock helps. It’s time for Michigan to catch up with the times. The game has changed. We need to catch up at all levels. It’s more of an uptempo game now and we need the shot clock.”

Muskegon High School coach Keith Guy coaches against Zeeland West on Jan. 13, 2023. Guy says Michigan needs a shot clock. (Photo | Lenny Padilla)

So what would it take to get the shot clock in Michigan? The athletic directors would have to approve it.

“There already has been a survey put out and the coaches already voted ‘yes’ on it,” said Guy, who also is the athletic director at Muskegon. “But it will come down to the ADs voting on it and the executive council from the MHSAA thinking that it should happen.”

What about the cost? 

“I understand the financial arguments and the commitment arguments,” South Christian coach Taylor Johnson said. “I believe every school has a good community and I think people would step up to (operate the clock).”

Paying someone to operate the shot clock would likely cost between $20 and $30 per game. Unless someone wanted to volunteer. 

Buying and installing shot clocks brings complications, however. 

According to the Daktronics website, to purchase two of their BB-2114 shot clocks - along with the equipment to operate them - costs $4,139. These are the LED clocks, which are mounted atop the backboards. But that’s if the scoreboard was made by Daktronics and if it was made after 2000. If not, replacing two scoreboards could cost more than $20,000. 

However, buying two portable shot clocks could be as cheap as under $100 each. 

“I researched it a couple of years ago,” Guy said. “You can buy portable shot clocks for like 90 bucks. You can put on on each end. They are wireless. It’s not as big of an expense as people think.”

Training high school referees to adjust is another issue as well.

South Christian’s Jake Vermaas shoots a 3-pointer in the MHSAA Division 2 state semifinals on March 24, 2023 at the Breslin Center. A shock clock can be seen in the back ground. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

So how long should the shot clock be?

“I think 35 is feasible,” Guy said. “Anything over that defeats the purpose. It gives us a transition from what the college game is doing to what high school could be.” 

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) approved a 35-second shot clock, which began with the 2022-23 season.

“We need it,” Zeeland West senior Merritt Alderink said. “There’s teams that stall for 45 seconds at a time. That slows the game down and makes it really boring.”

Said Vermaas: “It’s frustrating playing against teams that stall. It slows down the entire game. We’re a team that likes to play fast. So it’s just hard sitting at half court for 30 seconds to a minute. It’s not fun.” 

Grandville High School coach Desmond Young agrees.

“I think we need it in high school because of the teams that slow things down,” Young said.  “When they do that, it takes the air out of the basketball. It’s a disadvantage to the teams that like to play at a fast pace.”

On Feb. 7, 2023, two high schools in Oklahoma ended a game with a 4-2 score after each team stalled the entire game. That’s an extreme, but stalling can be avoided with a shot clock.

Johnson, who was an assistant coach at Grand Valley State University before coaching South Christian last season, said the game needs a shot clock. 

“It’s the way the game is played,” he said. “It’s our job is to prepare the kids for the next level. When I was coaching college, we were trying to prepare them for pro ball. And everyone has the shot clock. That’s how the game is being played.”

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