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Press Box Dave Reardon |
Cash register means
more than the clockWHAT began as a thrilling state championship basketball game the other night devolved into a session of tag.
If that really bothered you, guess what?
You're it.
Want a shot clock for high school basketball?
Ante up.
You won't get much argument from this corner against the idea of limiting the keep-away. There aren't too many fans out there who like it -- except for those of three-time state champion Iolani, which uses the stall as part of its considerable weaponry.
And I think Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado -- now victimized twice by slo-mo in state title games -- is right when he says most high school players would rather score than snore.
Yeah, there's nothing wrong with a shot clock.
But it's not practical. Who will fund the 50 (conservative estimate) clocks needed statewide? And who will monitor those clocks? It's more expensive and complicated than pulling a guy out of the stands to keep track with his watch.
Representatives from the Oahu Interscholastic Association made a tentative proposal for a shot clock last year at the state athletic directors meeting, but backed off.
Seven states use shot clocks. They do so, however, without the National Federation of High School State Associations' blessing. Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya isn't in the habit of going against the NFHS, but will if it is in the best interest of the state's student-athletes.
Also, he's a generous guy willing to take a calculated risk (reference football classification), but don't expect Amemiya to take out a second mortgage for shot clocks.
For now, there is a way to counteract slowdown tactics without use of a shot clock that's fair and simple and doesn't cost a cent.
One of the reasons Iolani went into a stall leading 56-50 with more than four minutes left was the foul situation. Kalaheo had committed only one personal in the second half; the Mustangs had to knock around the Raiders a time-consuming six more times before Iolani went to the foul line with 1:24 left.
Solution: Merely allow a team that hasn't reached the seven-foul plateau to put the opponents on the line if they want. Usually there's more hope in getting a rebound than a steal, and a team shouldn't be penalized for not hacking enough.
With that being said, give Iolani coach Mark Mugiishi and his staff credit for teaching his team the skills to win under the current rules. Furtado did exactly that right after his team's loss -- and the Mustangs slowed things down the night before when beating Punahou in their semifinal.
There is beauty to a team skilled and disciplined enough to milk a clock. If you remember Iolani's 2003 semifinal victory against Kamehameha, Derrick Low's crashing dunk came at the end of a Raiders four corners sleep-inducer.
It's like a batter intentionally fouling off pitch after pitch until he gets the one he wants, or a football coach wisely sticking to the ground when his team is ahead late in a game and then throwing a play-action pass for the clinching score.
Basketball's a different kind of game, though, a tempo game. Most love the speed of the action, the continuous display of athleticism. For the most part, stall-ball takes that away.
Unless a big bag of cash arrives at Amemiya's doorstep, expect more of the same next year.
Chico, don't be discouraged. But don't hold your breath, either.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Dave Reardon, who covered sports in Hawaii from 1977 to 1998,
moved to the the Gainesville Sun, then returned to
the Star-Bulletin in Jan. 2000.
E-mail him at dreardon@starbulletin.com