Kentucky High School Basketball Team Exploits Lack Of Shot Clock To Avoid Foul Trouble In Upset Loss

George Rogers Clark defeated St. Xavier during the high school basketball state championship in Kentucky. However, the Tigers might not have been there in the first place if there was a universal shot clock.

They were able to avoid serious foul trouble and a potential upset loss in the quarterfinals by stalling.

This is yet another example of why there must be a shot clock for high school basketball. To hold the ball for an extend period of time on offense defeats the entire purpose of the game.

Kentucky does not use a shot clock for high school basketball.

If you have been following along with our coverage here at BroBible, you already know this is one of the most debated topics in sports during the month of March. It is highly contentious!

Only 32 of 50 states use a universal shot clock for high school basketball. The other 18 states do not require teams to shoot the ball within a specific period of time. They can hold the ball as long as they want as long. Although the offensive player with possession must pass if the defense applies pressure within six feet for five seconds, the offense is still not required to shoot.

That often creates a scenario where the team with the lead can prevent a comeback by stalling or simply refusing to shoot the ball for an extended period of time. A Wisconsin state champion recently advanced its way through the bracket by standing completely still at the top of the key.

The argument against a shot clock is two-fold.

Bad teams are forced to take even more bad shots with a shot clock. An increase in bad shots by a bad team would allow scores to get even more out of hand. A shot clock cannot improve the level of play.

It also costs a lot of money to install a proper shot clock. Smaller schools may not be able to afford the installation or to pay the extra official hired to watch the clock.

The argument for a shot clock is singular. A 35-second count would prevent what happened during the quarterfinal game between St. Xavier and North Laurel.

St. Xavier avoided an upset by holding the ball.

For those who are not familiar with high school basketball in Kentucky, St. Xavier is one of the best programs in the state. The Tigers, based out of Louisville, finished the regular season at 22-7 to earn the No. 1 ranking.

They matched up with the Jaguars of North Laurel during the quarterfinal round of the KHSAA boys basketball Sweet 16 championship.

St. Xavier is much better than North Laurel on paper but the game was decided by only four points. It was the closest final score of the entire playoff bracket from start to finish.

This is where the lack of shot clock comes into the equation.

The Tigers ran into some foul trouble during the second half. They held only a one-point lead over the Jaguars halfway through the fourth quarter but they had two starter on the bench with four fouls each.

Instead of having to play without them, or risk them fouling out by keeping them on the floor, St. Xavier was able to hold the ball on offense to buy some additional time to get them back in the game. Boos rained down at Rupp Arena while the point guard stood completely still just beyond half court.