MSHSL unveiled 35-second shot clock during 2023-24 season

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

It was the beginning of a new era of high school basketball strategy all across Otter Tail County in 2023-24. New this year in Minnesota was that offensive players, when heading down court, had only 35 seconds to attempt a basketball shot.

This season, if a basketball shot was not taken after 35 seconds, a buzzer sounded and the other team took possession of the basketball. The shot clock was reset to 20 seconds if the offensive team regained control after an unsuccessful field goal attempt that contacted with the rim holding up the net.

“I thought it was a smooth addition this season, for the most part,” said Henning boys basketball coach and Activities Director Randy Misegades, Section 6A coaches representative for the Minnesota Boys Basketball Coaches Association.

“At times, it was a challenge to find one more table worker to run the shot clock,” Misegades said. “The only confusion was whether it would reset to 35 or 20 seconds at times.”  

The Henning AD and head boys basketball coach believes use of the shot clock rewards the better defensive teams.

“It doesn’t impact the flow of the game very often,” Misegades said. “Late in games, it forces the team that is leading to continue trying to score on offense. Overall, I think it was positive and will continue to grow the game moving forward.”  

Henning High School used the shot clock for varsity, JV and C-squad teams at home games.  

Gone are the days when a team, with a five-point lead or so, would go into a stall with about three or four minutes left in a game. The only way for the opponent to regain possession of the basketball was to foul a player and hope that one or two free throws would not be made.

“Using the shot clock is one of the best additions to high school basketball ever made,” said one coach after reading a guest story submitted by freelance writer Heather Rule to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “You don’t develop players by holding on to the ball and stalling, plus it’s boring.” 

Adds Misegades, “You have to keep playing the game, instead of watching kids shoot free throws the last handful of minutes.”

Players can see the shot clock and number of seconds remaining just above each of the backboards. Some coaches believe use of shot clocks will open up the game, with higher scores in succeeding years. 

Time will tell.