I remember the days of attending high school basketball games in South Dakota when I was roaming the halls of one of the public schools in Sioux Falls. I also remember watching three quarters of basketball, and one quarter of passing and constant fouling.

Back then, I always wondered what the real benefit to not having a shot clock was. Increase of popcorn sales? Help ease the not-so-much traffic at the end of the game? The game became a foul-fest and it wasn't fun at all. Better yet, it was a chore to watch the 4th quarter.

How times have changed.

As we are approaching the end of the regular season for high school basketball in the state, I find myself enjoying the game much more now than I did when I attended. One of the biggest reasons, the inclusion of a shot clock.

South Dakota is one of nine states in the country to use a shot clock for high school basketball. We're finally one step ahead.

The quality of basketball has increased because of it, and now there is a new emphasis on finding quality shots in 35 seconds. It finally feels like basketball. Class A schools will feel that benefit next year.

It would be ideal for Class B to be able to get shot clocks, but (realistically) most of the schools in general could not afford the cost of them. Can't fault them for that. For the SDHSAA to "help" with the cost of them would cause much discussion and would have to go through many areas for it to be considered.

Overall, South Dakota has taken a step into the right direction when it comes to high school basketball. With the addition of the shot clock, the game has become more enjoyable, the scoring has increased, and the game feels like basketball. More importantly, we're giving student athletes the best chance to grow in the game of basketball.

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