By Michael Letendre 

BRISTOL – When the scholastic basketball season finally gets underway in less than a week, a couple strange devices will be looming on the walls in every gymnasium around Connecticut. 

The state introduced a 35-second shot clock in basketball for the 2023-24 season, adopting the same rules and regulations several surrounding states have been using for years. 

And it was simply just a matter of time before the Nutmeg State would fall in line and start using shot clocks in scholastic hoop. 

“[The] CIAC Board of Control has voted to adopt a 35-second shot clock for use in boys and girls basketball beginning in the 2023-2024 season,” said the CIAC in a release earlier in the year. “The shot clock is only mandatory for the varsity level and will be optional for the JV and freshman levels. An adult must run the shot clock at the varsity level, but it is not mandatory for an adult to run the shot clock at the JV and freshman levels.” 

“The adoption of the shot clock began with a proposal from the CIAC Boys and Girls Basketball Committees, and was later overwhelmingly endorsed in a survey of CIAC member schools.” 

There are many pros and cons about using a shot clock at the scholastic level. 

Some coaches have resisted implementing them while others have welcomed the change with open arms and excitement. 

What would the typical reaction from a player who was suddenly forced to play with a shot clock at the scholastic level? 

Would the new shot clock be a distraction or an irritant to the players? 

Or is the clock simply another wrinkle that scholastic basketball needed to adopt, helping athletes prepare for their next level of their hoops education? 

Bristol Eastern CCC South, All Conference guard/forward – senior Brayden Dauphinais – was more concerned about the positioning of the clock behind the backboards from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium rather than the actual devices being used. 

“I mean, it’s going to be good for us this year but I don’t think they’re in a really good spot to be honest,” said Dauphinais of the shot clocks. “It’s going to be hard to see it from the corners.” 

However, is having a shot clock a different kind of challenge for Dauphinais who spent virtually the entire summer, fall and preseason playing hoop with his current teammates – honing his craft in different leagues and tournaments around the area and New England? 

Or would it be business as usual for the senior standout? 

“All summer and this fall, we’ve been playing with a shot clock,” said Dauphinais. “It really hasn’t bothered us too much. We get our shots up quick.” 

Needed or not? 

There’s a lot to unwrap when it comes to having only a limited chuck of time to get a field goal off. 

For younger players, it’s a new sensation and there’s bound to be growing pains along the way. 

One thought process was that a shot clock will help speed up the games a little bit but so far during the preseason, that’s not been the case. 

Eastern’s first scrimmage ended up being a 62-55 final and the scoring output for the Kingstreeters was right around the average for the squad from last season. 

The Lancers like to shoot and those sets and schemes head coach Bunty Ray employed last season should fit into the flow of the offense, even with a shot clock in use. 

“I think we’ll be more than all right,” said Dauphinais. “[The shot clock] isn’t going to affect us too much. It will be good.”

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