So, the ACC is going to experiment with a 30 second shot clock in exhibition games this year.
“Our coaches and ADs both felt it would be an enhancement to the game in today’s world,” Swofford said. “It adds more possessions and potentially would speed up the game.”
NCAA men’s teams have used a 35-second shot clock since the 1993-94 season.
Swofford said league coaches submitted the proposal to the athletic directors during the spring meetings, and the athletic directors embraced the idea. The ACC would give its feedback on the use of the 30-second shot clock to the men’s basketball rules committee.
“That’s where the game is headed,” Pitt coach Jamie Dixon told ESPN’s Andy Katz at the NBA draft combine in Chicago. “We want to be ahead of the game. We want to provide data and see what it’s like.”
Presumably, Coach Dixon is at the NBA draft combine to support Lamar Patterson.
Definitely mixed feelings on the 30 second shot clock experiment. I think it isn’t a bad thing when you talk about helping for a more standardized game. The pros, FIBA and Euro leagues all use a 24 second clock, so moving it closer to that seems like a good step.
On the other hand, it isn’t going to make a change to scoring. If anything, scoring will go down in college. It is not going to encourage teams to run more.
However, NCAA women and international youth teams don’t have the tremendous problem with freedom-of-moment issues that college men do. How does “bumping the cutter” translate into French or Russian or Serbian? I’m betting they have no comparable phrase.
The problem with the 30-second cycle is that it makes it much easier for teams to play sound defense. The greatest issue with any defense, in any possession sport, is sustaining cohesive effort against a prolonged attack. It’s why football teams want pass-rushers; give a great quarterback enough time, eventually he will find an open receiver.
If a basketball team exercises crisp player and ball movement long enough, even the best defense is likely to spring a leak and allow a quality shot attempt. But if that time is limited, the offensive team loses an advantage. And if the defense is allowed to bump players off their proscribed cuts, or to jump in front of penetrating ballhandlers to draw charges, the defense gains another edge.
The assumption is that shortening the shot-clock cycle will make college basketball a faster, more attractive game. It’s not necessarily true. The last time the colleges cut the shot clock, from 45 to 35 in 1993-94, shot attempts only increased by four per game, and shooting percentages fell by nearly a full percentage point, from 45.2 percent to 44.3.
Within four years, as defensive-oriented coaches realized how the shorter clock empowered defenses by requiring players to guard for shorter bursts, scoring had dropped by nearly 10 points per game.
Imagine a Rick Pitino defense fueled by a 30-second shot clock. He puts on a nuisance press to drain seven or eight seconds off a possession before the ball crosses halfcourt, maybe 10 before the point guard can make his initial pass. Now Louisville’s opponent has 15 seconds to get off a quality attempt before the specter of a clock violation forces rushed action at the end of the cycle. And consider that as all this transpires, nobody’s getting a free pass to make a move through the lane or along the baseline, and any drives at the goal will be discouraged by help defenders ducking in to draw charges.
The issue, once again, is freedom of movement. The college game has remained a physical game that favors defense. The attempts this past year by officials had the predictable result. Lots of calls earlier in the year that tapered off steadily into the conference play and NCAA Tournament. And now there is already an attempt to go backwards by going back to the older block/charge rule which further rewards defense.
Anyone who followed the NBA of the mid-90s remembers the low-scoring physical games that saw defense rule first. Shot clock made no difference if players couldn’t get to the basket cleanly. I have no problem with giving it a try, but a shorter shot clock won’t speed tempo or improve the game without cleaning up the other stuff. Whether concurrently or before a real switch on the shot clock.
The other item was USA Today listed the top money makers in coaches from the past NCAA Tournament.
Coach Jamie Dixon was 15th on the list. About where you would expect. The real takeaway after you get past the top-paid and deserving money for coaches like Krzyzewski, Izzo, Donovan, Calipari, Self and Pitino is how job interest from others or just leaving for another job makes the difference. Seeing Steve Alford making over $3.4 million from UCLA. Josh Pastner leverages regular interest to make sure Memphis pays him well. As does Jay Wright at Villanova. Just as Jamie Dixon does. The only other way to get a boost is to take the money from desperate schools — Travis Ford, OK State; Scott Drew, Baylor; Mike Gottfried, NC State all jump out on the list.
As how many possession did we see that the shot clock got down to less than 3 seconds before a wild, bad, or worse shot than they could have had earlier in the shot clock, was hoisted up.
Anything the NCAA does to minimize slogball would be much appreciated !
Since Pitt hardly ever passes over the press, and instead prefers to have to beat the defense twice, we will have even less time after snailing our way past the half court line.
The positive that might come out of this for that is:
JD will finally have to learn how to pass over the full court press rather than snail our way up the court via the dribble. Only to have to again beat the opponents defense in the half court.
Better cut down on his milk & cream. 🙂
I’m sure we’ll be hearing from the NAACP shortly.
It’s pretty funny !
But more suspiciously, why aren’t there any openly gay NCAA coaches on the list? Although, Jay Wright is quite a snappy dresser. Just sayin.
Resembles Georgie Boy Clooney as well !
But I saw this online:
USC transfer Byron Wesley will not visit Pitt.
The coach did nothing over the last several playoff losses to change up the ineffectual power play, which as most know, the power play and whether or not you take advantage of it, is the determining factor in winning most hockey games.
As I posted before.
2014…1 for 20 on PP vs. Rangers
2013 ..0 for 15 on PP vs. Bruins
2011…1 for 34 on PP vs. TB
2012 Flyers were 12 of 23 on PP
Both should have been canned.
the offense will still start at the 10 seconds to go mark.
And Young’s back being 100% and him showing some added toughness.
I’m very concerned with where they’re going to get the points from.
We really needed the USC tranfer, who cancelled his trip to Pitt.
After watching both the Columbus and NY series, I didn’t see much emotional play from the Pens. Which is imo a reflection of the coach. That emotional-less almost robotic play is good for the marathon long regular season.
But you need to turn it up another gear in the playoffs, using emotions or other techniques.
Clearly since 2009, the Pens have lacked it in the p-offs.
God, i wish i could have been born earlier. I was 4 months old when Pitt won title, 3 when Bucs won their last series, and 2 when Affirmed won triple crown.
Pretty sure I’ll be in the ground before Pitt football or Buccos win it all again. I hate the Steelers and not a hockey fan, so i guess California Chrome is my hope at some sports joy…
Another reason to hate on the Hillbillies. Hiring the vastly overpaid boob Gee.
Another fraternity that takes care of it’s own regardless of what they say or do !
You were just born in the wrong decade. Cleveland was pretty good in sports in the 1950’s with the Browns and even the Indians were in the WS one or two year. Larry Doby anyone !
I remember the Browns winning the title in 64 and being good the rest of the decade and in the early 70s.
I don’t remember the Indians being good but am aware of Lemon, Garcia, Wynn and Feller and the Tribe winning 116 games in 54, but losing in the Series.
Browns were pretty good under Marty S in the 80s but could never win the big one to get into the SB
They did win the WS in 1948, Doby & Satchel Page were on that team.
And of course they had Bernie Kozar but couldn’t get past Elway and the Broncos in the late 80’s.
And who can forget the Cleveland Barons of the NHL
🙂
Those guys always come up big when the big lines struggle in the playoffs, which is inevitable when the game gets defensive in the playoffs. Pretty simple formula.
As far as a 30 second clock, Pitt should look to pressure the ball for a full 90 feet. That will get them prepared for tournament pressure. Secondly, as previously indicated, this may cause Jamie to run an uptempo offense and attract and keep some offensive talent. Just a thought.
Early in the season Pitt’s O started early and scored early, but later in the year did not start the offence until late. Maybe this will cause Pitt to start the O early and they can have more success like they did early in the year.
LOL
I had Cal. Chrome of course, but didn’t pair him up with the right fella’s!!
My dad loved the horses. I enjoy them too, especially the Triple Crown.
To casual of a fan though, to really have any betting input of value.
Did win about $800.00 a few years back on Lemon Drop Kid. If I told you I bet on him for any other reason than I liked the name, I’d be lying!!
LOL
Poloponies!!!
The great Indian teams were early 50’s and before my time but in the 60’s they had some great talent that didn’t win anything because they were up against the Yankees in the AL. Pitching was a strength with Sonny Seibert, Sudden Sam McDowell ( who was the inspiration for Sam Mallone on Cheers) ,Luis Tiant, and Jim Mudcat Grant. In the field Rocky Colavito, Luis Aparicio, Tito Francona, and Leon “Big Daddy” Wagner. Wagner was the Willie Stargell of Cleveland. He owned an upscale clothing store in the city. They advertised on Cleveland games ” Buy you rags , from Daddy Wags”.
If still in doubt, try paying specific attention to how a 240 POUND TAILBACK is able to consistently SET UP Tacklers and make them miss.
And keep in mind that this was the FIRST GAME after Notre Dame where “PANTHER BEAST MODE” was HEALTHY and RESTED.
http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/blog/2014/05/mancrushmonday—may-19-2014.html
But, barring an incoming Freshman taking Conner’s sport as FEATURED BACK… in my opinion it would be FOOLISH for Chryst and Co. to play Conner both ways more than just a couple of plays a game.
Looking at the Bowl Highlights, it’s pretty evident just how much of a “BEAST” Conner can be when RESTED and HEALTHY.
Otto Graham was the Browns qb in the 50’s. Heck of an athlete & a hall of famer.
Comment by gc 05.19.14 @ 7:02 am
Last 5 minutes of a game, is ‘crunch time’.
The opposing team turns up their defense a notch, so our scoring droughts usually coincided with that.
And that is also what is happening in the NCAA’s. Teams play tougher defense then than in the regular season.
PITT has rarely had the offense to overcome this.
Nor do we have any other defenses you can go to, to get a turnover or two, leading to an easier scoring chance.
So in my mind it’s pretty clear why we don’t get very far in the NCAA’s.
1) Teams play much tougher defense than they do in the regular season.
2) We don’t have the offense to overcome that tougher defense which result in these scoring droughts and;
3) We don’t have any other defenses to produce turnovers which result in easier scoring chances.
Sudden Sam McDowell was a Central Catholic grad.
Colavita was AL Rookie of the Year in the late 60’s I believe, but the Indians were dreadful as Detroit (Denny McClain, 31 wins),Boston(Yaz, Scott & Lonberg) & then the Baltimore Orioles dominated the AL and then the A’s came along.
I remember the Tribe always being in it ’til the All Star break. Aparicio, Colavito,Francona, and Wagner would be a great offensive team in todays game but there were only 8 teams in the AL and thay all could hit. Cleveland also had good starting pitching that would dominate now a days. Then though they were just another good staff. Baltimore had four 20 game winners on the same staff and the Yankees had Marris , Mantle, Ellie Howard, 3 time MVP Berra, Bobby Richardson a career .309 hitting 2nd baseman, Tom Tresh, Tony Kubek, Clete Boyer. There were All Stars at every position. Guys like Harmon Killebrew, Boog Powell,and Yasztremski were often also rans.
Wasn’t he a Washington Senator as well ?
Still have a lot of baseball cards, but the market is down.
Here’s an interesting pic from 1909.
The Washington Senators and the Kansas City Athletics were the cellar dwellers with the White Sox slightly better. Cleveland, Detroit, Boston and Baltimore fought it out behind the Yankees for second. When the Yankees reign finally ended The Orioles, Red Sox, Tigers all had some big years but the Indians weren’t really a factor.
Baseball hasn’t been the same since.
Made playing RF look easy. .357 in ’67 with 110 rbi’s.
.352 in ’70
.341 in ’71
One of our 2014 offers decided Pitt wasn’t it 🙁
5/18/2014 – 2014 SG Elijah Stewart (6-5, 180,4-star) | Overall Rank: 64 | Position Rank: 12 committed to USC. – Per Link
So looks like we lost 2 potential players for next year there.
It is HCPC who brought it up in an interview and played him at DE during a spring practice, and it was Conner himself who tweeted a couple of weeks ago that it was awesome that he was going to play both ways.
Speaking of both ways … who was the Philly LB who was the last player to both offense and defense fulltime?
I wonder if Lamar and Talib will get a shot to make an NBA roster.
So we’ll have to depend on competing for the ACC playoff game to fill Heinz. It would be great to have a nine game conference schedule with the possibility of getting Florida State and Clemson at Heinz more often.
Just a thought: We old timers on here probably won’t see it, but the plans to build an on campus stadium will eventually come to fruition after Pederson is out of the way.
A 68,000 seat stadium only half full isn’t going to be a healthy indicator of Pitt football’s strength.
Meanwhile, the stadium is becoming too large to be practical for Pitt.
Again, while I would love to see Pitt have its own 47,211 seat bowl stadium, I will argue with anyone that Oakand is not feasible nor practical … limited space and hard to get to. But there are surrounding sites that may be.
