The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association has been able to approve the addition of a 35-second shot clock to high school basketball that is going to start during the 2027-28 school year/season. The basketball shot clock was one of three proposals that passed May 4, and it is by far, the closest. The integration of the shot clock is highly debated, which is passing in several states such as New Jersey and Kentucky. It is facing pushbacks from state associations and coaches that are concerned about funding and execution.

A lot of people have carried pros and cons about the shot clock that is coming to high school basketball. Some people have discussed it all over social media and even in person about the fact that they want a shot clock so bad and they think that is is a fair and valid concept to be added. However, on the other hand, half of the other people think that it is fun and better to play basketball without a shot clock, so they think that it is not necessary or mandatory at all. Below is the list of pros and cons:

Pros of having a shot clock:

1. Eliminates Stalling – Prevents teams from holding onto the ball for so long, so that they can protect a slim lead.

2. Improves Pace & Flow – Forces teams to organize their offenses more quickly, which guarantees a minimum number of possessions and increasing game action.

3. Prepares Plays For The Next Level – It will align high school basketball rules with college and professional basketball, so it will help to prepare student-athletes who are looking to play in college.

4. Promotes Better Decision-Making – Encourages players to act and react dynamically within a constraint, which shifts controls that come from the coach’s bench back to the players on the floor.

Cons of having a shot clock:

1. Financial Costs – Buying, installing and maintaining new shot clock equipment can be a significant burden. Especially because it is for smaller or underfunded public schools

2. Logistical Challenges – Requires finding and training competent personnel to run the extra clock, which will increase and add pressure and stress to existing volunteer-based table crews.

3. Potential For Sloppy Plays – A lot of people have argued that rushing to beat the shot clock will most likely result in low-percentage chances for shots to happen. As well as unorganized basketball

4. Exacerbated Lopsided Games – Teams that are outmatched and rely on slowing the game down to keep scores close might be able to end up losing by wider margins if forced to play at a faster pace.

The Clarion interviewed Ryan McMann (Head Coach) and  Christopher Ward (Freshman Coach) asking the following questions listed below.

1. What are your thoughts and opinions on the shot clock that is coming to high school basketball during the 2027-2028 school year? Do you think that the shot clock is a good and fair concept to be added to high school basketball or is it not necessary or mandatory? Why or why not?

Ryan McMann – Head Coach: I think it is going to take some time for HS age players to get used to playing with a shot clock. I understand that some schools want it in order to be able to prepare their players for the next level (such as college and possibly beyond), but there are also some concerns that come with it as well. Players in HS are not as skilled as college level players, and also HS coaches are not allowed to recruit players, so it could cause some headaches for teams that want to play a certain way or that are maybe not as talented.

Christopher Ward – Freshman Coach: I think a shot clock should be optional. If the two teams agree on it then implement it. That way if schools do not want to spend the extra money they are not required to.

2. Do you think the shot clock will be a challenge for high school players? Maybe putting some pressure and stress on high school players since the shot clock is going to be a 35-second start or do you think that a 35-second start is not bad at all?

Ryan McMann – Head Coach: I do think that players will face some challenges with a shot clock. It is especially going to put a stress on offensive execution, because now you need to get the ball over half court and into an offense so that you have time to get off a good shot. Teams that like to walk it up or take their time getting into their offensive sets might feel a little rushed on the offensive end because of this. I do not think that a 35-second start is bad at all since I think that it is fair and that is plenty of time but again, you could be facing stress levels once you are under 10-15 seconds left of the shot clock which is a piece of evidence to prove that it will be a challenge for high school players.

Christopher Ward – Freshman Coach: I think the student athletes will adjust to it. They play at a fast pace, so I do not think it will be harmful.

3. When you were playing basketball in high school and/or college, do you wish that the shot clock was added at the time when you were playing or not? Or do you wish that the shot clock would have been added to high school before or during covid?

Ryan McMann – Head Coach: When I played basketball in high school, I can think of certain situations or games where a shot clock would have been useful, but having grown up not using one, and with the college shot clock being 35 seconds at the time, I don’t think it would have made sense to introduce one then (it would probably have to have been at least 40 seconds for HS). I think the time to do it would have been when college went to a 30 second shot clock (or shortly thereafter). I understand why they want to introduce a shot clock, but from a financial and staffing perspective, it is going to create some issues for sure.

Christopher Ward – Freshman Coach: I played in high school and college. In high School, there was no shot clock but in college, there was a shot clock. I did not really feel any difference. I think the shot clock was inevitable and I am just concerned about the expense of installing the clocks and having someone run it during games.