State semi game is prime example of why shot clock is needed

I think one of my Tweets during a boys basketball state semifinal game Thursday may have summed it up best:

Don't think high school hoops needs a shot clock? Turn on the state tourney right now. This is beyond ridiculous.

Thursday's game from the Target Center between Hopkins and Shakopee in Class 4A is a prime example of why the Minnesota State High School League needs to get on board with the shot clock. (It was also a good example of why I prefer watching hockey games to basketball games during the dead of winter.)

Boys basketball has been a strong powerhouse at Hopkins for quite a few years now. Seeded No. 1, Hopkins beat Shakopee 49-46 in the semis Thursday, in four overtimes. Sophomore Amir Coffey launched a shot from well beyond half court, 60 feet or so away from the basket, that went in just before the buzzer in that fourth OT to give his team the stunning win.

But that play and the final score certainly do not tell the whole story of how the Royals ended up on top.

Lots of overtime, lots of standing around
If I remember right, I think the score was tied 41-41 near the end of regulation (and the score didn't change by the end of overtime No. 2). With a couple minutes left, Hopkins went into the most literal form of stall ball I have ever seen. The Hopkins player just dribbled the ball in the same spot. Then he stood there. Timeout was finally called with about 19 seconds left, with the obvious strategy being Hopkins would take one final shot for the win.

They tried this twice, and that final shot didn't go in. They tried the same thing again and ended up not getting a shot off before time ran out. Shakopee didn't come up and challenge, sticking to a zone defense. I'm sure the coaching staff for the Sabers thought this was the best option against a tough Hopkins team. My limited knowledge of basketball tells me to agree with that.

Eventually, some points were scored in overtime. Shakopee had a three-point lead when Hopkins tied it. A fifth overtime looked likely as only a couple ticks remained, with Hopkins getting the ball at the other end. That's when Coffey hit the shot that landed the Royals in the Class 4A championship. His shot also got conversations going about which play was better, his buzzer beater, or former Royal Blake Hoffarber's three-point shot while he was sitting on his rear end that sent the 2005 championship game into double overtime. I'll go with Hoffarber.

Hopkins tried not to lose, and won
Anyway, the way Hopkins played the end of the game the other night was a classic "trying not to lose" strategy, in my opinion. By standing there holding the ball, you're not trying to win. You're not playing the game outright and seeing who the better team is when the buzzer goes. I honestly think Shakopee played so well and gave Hopkins such a tough test, that the Royals decided that the ultimate stall ball technique was the best way to go.

Even watching on television, you could tell the Shakopee fans were not happy with the Hopkins strategy. In contrast, the fans in blue and white for Hopkins were standing and clapping. For a game that was at a standstill.

Shot clock is necessary
One of my biggest pet peeves with watching high school basketball is the lack of a shot clock. Without it, I've seen too many games get really boring, really fast, with tons of time left. It's the old, pass it around, don't be in any hurry to shoot, then the other team will be forced to foul, etc. You still have some of this at the pro and college levels, but at least the shot clock puts some kind of limit on that.

As far as the amount of time to put on the clock, I'll leave that to the experts to decide. Forty-five seconds? A minute? Anything, as long as the clock is in place.

The MSHSL needs to bring shot clocks into the rules for basketball, and the sooner the better. The cost of installing the clocks at schools statewide is the biggest argument I've heard as to why shot clocks aren't part of the game already. But the issue isn't going away, and prices aren't going down.

Maybe it's saying something like shot clocks need to be in place three years out, giving districts enough time to install shot clocks and possibly raise the funds necessary or go out for a referendum. However it gets done, it needs to.

If North Dakota can do it, why can't Minnesota?