By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Athletic directors from the five Western Athletic Conference schools, including Great Bend High School, meet on the first Wednesday of each month in Dodge City. A big topic of discussion at the Feb. 7 meeting was the league-wide adoption of the shot clock for the 2024-25 basketball season. GBHS Activities Director Matt Westerhaus said all five schools agreed to implement the shot clock next year.
"We'll just see how it plays out," he said. "I'm excited to see how it impacts the game because we've never had the opportunity to at least try it. This is just the initial period to see what are the pros and cons, and see where it goes from there."
Last month, the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) announced a trial basis for the upcoming season for a 35-second shot clock, which has never before been implemented at the high school level in the state. All high schools can choose to use the clock, but once implemented, but must be used for all varsity games at that school. Each WAC school plays eight league games, and with home games added, most GBHS games next year will feature a shot clock.
"I think it's good," Westerhaus said. "That way it's not bouncing back and forth each night. Some schools that come play us who are potentially lower-classification schools, it might be a little different situation for them prepping for playing under a shot clock at Great Bend High School."
Westerhaus expects expenses of around $5,000 to purchase and operate wireless shot clocks and red lighting around the backboards. A few table workers will likely be trained on how to operate the clock and when to reset it.
"There will be some adjustment, I'm sure early, just because it's going to be new," said Westerhaus. "That will be an adjustment on the officials' side, the table workers' side, coach's side, players' side, and fans' side."
According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), 27 states now use shot clocks in some capacity. A group of athletic directors from Kansas visited Iowa, one of the first states to implement shot clocks.
"On a typical game night, they were able to see it implemented in sub-varsity and varsity contests," Westerhaus said. "The Iowa folks gave us some guidelines they follow in their state organization, so I'm assuming we will see some similar guidelines put out by KSHSAA that we will all follow."
The KSHSAA pilot will require participating schools to use current NFHS rules regarding the clock, but have yet to take into consideration things like the running clock in the fourth quarter when one sides gains an advantage of at least 30 points.
Part of the KSHSAA pilot requires schools with shot clocks to notify all opposing schools of the change prior to the start of the season. Participating schools must also complete a short survey after each home game. Shot clocks will not be used in any postseason games next season though the KSHSAA Executive Board will consider playoff use following the 2024-25 season.