KHSAA members say 'no' to shot clock in high school basketball

Stall ball is alive and well in Kentucky high school basketball. A survey unveiled at today’s KHSAA Board of Control meeting revealed its member institutions are not in favor of adding a shot clock to the sport in the near future.

According to the Courier-Journal’s Jason Frakes, a statewide survey was conducted to see if schools wish to see a 35-second shot clock implemented into high school basketball. The majority was on the side of maintaining the status quo.

Only 91 of the 232 girls’ respondents voted “yes” (39%). It was slightly higher for the boys’ programs with 100 of 237 voting “yes” to a shot clock (42%).

“It’s pretty clear majority of schools don’t favor a shot clock,” said KHSAA commissioner Julian Tackett.

Ahead of the 2022-23 high school basketball season, the NFHS voted to allow states to begin implementing either 30 or 35-second shot clocks. There are now 17 states that play by the same rules as college athletes.

• Arkansas
• California
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New York
• North Dakota
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Utah
• Washington

Opponents argue that adding the operation is too much on schools that lack resources, not only financially to add the clocks, but also the man power to operate them. Shot clock proponents received plenty of ammunition for the change this year when one Oklahoma high school basketball game ended with a final score of 4-2.

New KHSAA Sports Championships

The KHSAA is growing. This fall girls wrestling will officially become a KHSAA sanctioned sport and crown a champion for the first time. Kentucky will be the 38th state to add the sport. Next season team tennis titles will also be handed out for the first time to both boys and girls’ programs.

Coming in the 2024-25 season the KHSAA will officially make boys volleyball a sport. After competing for years outside of the KHSAA umbrella, boys and girls lacrosse will officially crown a state champion.