Despite The National Federation of State High School Associations approving the implementation of a 35-second shot clock for high school basketball games this past summer, Ohio is just one of two states, that still does not have a shot clock. Many feel that not having a shot clock is bad for the game, as teams can hold the ball for an extended period of time, essentially wasting time, and the overall pace of the game is very slow when teams are in no rush to score.

“Yes, we should have a 30-second shot clock, just like college,” says point guard Mike Sekyere. “Having a shot clock in high school will help players get ready for the next level of play, it will prepare them for college”, Sekyere goes on to say.

Sekyere also feels that a shot clock “will improve gameplay, so teams won’t be able to hold the ball for an extended period of time, and more shots will get put up.”

The dynamic of high school basketball in Ohio is very different from the dynamic at the next level. Players like Sekyere, who have the goal of playing college basketball, are being put at a disadvantage due to no shot clock in their games. Going from having no limit on when a shot has to be put up to having to have a shot up in 30-seconds can have a huge effect on a player’s performance. Suddenly having the stress of needing to take a shot at a certain time can definitely cause a player that is inexperienced with the shot clock to panic, and play badly as a result.

It doesn’t make any sense why the state of Ohio has yet to implement a shot clock into the high school game; not only is it bad for the game at the high school level, but it also doesn’t help to prepare talented players for the college level. Ideally, Ohio will implement a shot clock sometime in the near future to avoid further harm to the potential of talented players, and to make the game itself more entertaining and competitive.