By Michael Letendre

The shot clock conversation turns into reality this week on the scholastic level as the devices will be put into use at both the Charles C. Marsh and Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasiums during basketball games.

What should fans expect to see when a squad has only three seconds left to shoot the ball?

And what does the horn sound like for a shot clock violation?

Here’s a quick lowdown of how the shot clock will affect the scholastic games:

Who gets the turnover in a shot clock violation? 

That’s a good question in terms of tagging someone with a turnover due to a shot clock mishap. 

If the team on offense does not get a shot off in time (35 seconds) and is called for a clock violation, the player who had the ball last won’t be charged with the turnover. 

However, the team will. 

Teams might be playing a little hot potato if that shot clock gets under five seconds – and then handing out a turnover to the last person who possessed the ball isn’t really accurate – or fair and that’s not how a turnover will be issued. 

Basketball is a team game and the squad will be charged with the turnover in the end, not a single individual.

It will be interesting to see how many shot clock violations come to pass on opening day. 

A needed vice 

Have you ever gone to a scholastic basketball game and right out the opening tip, a team wins the tap, gets the ball and then just holds it for minutes at a clip? 

That’s the exact situation in why a shot clock was needed in the first place.

In the 2001 Berkshire League Boys Basketball Tournament, No. 5 Wamogo traveled to No. 4 Lewis Mills for a first round showdown from Burlington. 

The Warriors attempted to slow down high scoring Lewis Mills guard Tim Russell, and the game was slowed down to a crawl. 

And after three overtimes, Mills hung on to win it, 43-41. 

Yes, the teams combined to score 84 points by the completion of three overtimes. 

When Wamogo had the ball, they just stopped playing for two to three minutes as the logic was to keep the ball out of Russell’s hands. 

Did it work? 

Well, in the first period, the squads combined for three field goals, leading to a 4-3 edge for the Spartans. 

Russell ended the night with 21 points as coach David Keepin kept feeding the talented scorer when the home team had possession of the ball. 

Using that example, a shot clock would stop that kind of on the court chicanery. 

More tomfoolery 

Back on March 14, 2007, Wilby High School in Waterbury was the venue for a pivotal Class L semifinal round battle between top seeded Maloney and No. 4 Farmington in boys action. 

And clinging to a slim lead entering the fourth period of play, then Maloney head coach Howie Hewitt decided the hold the ball for the first six minutes of the final frame. 

It was a bit mind numbing and as soon as the Spartans went to make their first move with the ball in the fourth, the Maloney player dribbled it right off his foot and out of bounds. 

The Spartans ended up winning the showdown 45-37 even after that late game gaff – sans a shot clock.

Frankly, a shot clock could have made that an exciting quarter instead of a hold and wait scenario.

The sound

Have you ever heard a chicken screaming at a goat?

Well, that’s the sound that will be made – at least at Bristol Eastern – each and every time a shot clock violation takes place.

And at Eastern’s last home game, the two duds (or more accurately, legends) running the game and shot clocks had the horn go off three times during play though a shot clock violation never took place.

The sound that came from the clock was pretty bad and something you truly don’t want to witness in person.

Maybe Eastern should think about hiring some new help at the scorer’s table so that shot clock horn won’t be blasted all that often.

Conclusion

In the end, a shot clock might be one of the best things for scholastic basketball in Connecticut as the years move along. 

Only time will tell. 

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