As the Clock Ticks: Fowler leads shot clock charge for SC HS basketball

Byrnes head basketball coach Layne Fowler (center) has been a driving force behind the movement for a shot clock in South Carolina high school basketball.

At SCHSL’s April 15 meeting, Byrnes head coach Layne Fowler had the chance to promote the addition of a shot clock to South Carolina high school basketball.

Fowler’s proposal was approved by both the activities and executive committee. It will go into place beginning this coming season.

“It’s great news,” said Fowler. “We’re happy with SCHSL’s decision and for listening to what we had to say.”

His shot clock initiative—which Fowler says he’s been working on since early 2017—includes several key components:

• The use of a shot clock was approved for tournaments, invitationals and non-region games for the years 2024-25 and 2025-26.

• Use of a shot clock for the next two seasons in aforementioned games must be agreed upon ahead of time by both competing teams

• Beginning in 2026-27 (after the two-year trial period) Class 5-A and 4-A programs automatically fully implement a shot clock for all games (this aspect of the proposal was declined)

“We started this process all the way back in 2017, back when most states still didn’t have a shot clock,” said Fowler. “This is something we need for the betterment of basketball in South Carolina. It’s better for the game.”

When Fowler began working on his shot clock proposal in 2017, only seven states had shot clocks for high school basketball. Now, 27 states have it. Fowler says he worried about South Carolina falling behind and players going into college not having the necessary experience with a shot clock.

“I’ve had several players who have gone on to play at the next level tell me ‘Coach, I wish we had a shot clock in high school,” said Fowler. “And they’re right. It’s good for the players. It makes them do everything with more urgency and precision—make sharper decisions.”

In South Carolina, debates have gone on about the need for a shot clock. Without one, teams can theoretically hold the ball for as long as they want when winning. Though the argument is often made to simply “trap” the ball-handlers in said situations, Fowler doesn’t buy into it.

“That’s not realistic. If you have a team with even just two solid ball-handers, you can not trap them and get the ball. That’s the biggest farce I’ve heard in my life,” said Fowler.

“Adding a shot clock will reward good defense and prevent teams from holding onto the ball for a ridiculous amount of time.”

COACH THOUGHTS AND THE COLLEGE GAME

Riverside head coach Allen Arnold is all for the inclusion of a shot clock. Though he admits, he’s used the lack of one to his advantage before.

Arnold pointed to this year’s upper state semifinal matchup where his Warriors took on Catawba Ridge — one of Class 4-A’s top teams. In the second overtime of that game, Riverside won the tip-off.

Because Catawba Ridge’s zone defense was so good, Arnold said, he made the call for his players to pass the ball around the perimeter for nearly three minutes at the start of the second overtime period. With the absence of a shot clock, the Warriors were able to do so with ease.

“That’s a game where we benefited from not having a shot clock,” said Arnold. “We used it to our advantage that one time. That’s not what we usually do, though. If I was [Catawba Ridge] in that situation, I would’ve wanted a clock.”

Riverside went on to win that game in double overtime, 63-61. Though it benefitted the Warriors that game, Arnold said he still supports the inclusion of a shot clock around the state.

“[The shot clock] prepares kids for what they’ll see at the next level. If you’re not careful, you’ll feel behind if you’re coming out of our state to play in college, because so many other states have adopted it at the high school level,” said Arnold. “And at our level, it helps with the pace of our game.”

Greer head coach Devin Liferidge shared Arnold’s sentiments.

“With the evolution of basketball and the way it’s being played today, I believe it’s doing our kids a disservice to have them play without [a shot clock],” said Liferidge. “The implementation of a shot clock makes for better coaches and better players.”

Liferidge, like Arnold, worries about any hurdles the lack of a clock could cause South Carolina high school players trying to make it into the college game.

“If I’m a college coach and I’m looking at one kid I know has played their whole career with a shot clock against one who hasn’t, I just don’t know,” said Liferidge. “Maybe that’s perceived a certain way, maybe it’s not.

“But in my mind, there’s more danger in being at the bottom end of that movement and falling behind. We don’t want to be one of the last states to have a shot clock, dragging our feet for too long.”

While crafting his proposal, Fowler sought opinions from prominent college coaches on the shot clock matter, including South Carolina women’s head coach Dawn Staley and Clemson men’s head coach Brad Brownell.

“[A shot clock] is a must,” Staley told Fowler.

“A shot clock will increase the pace of the game which will certainly help with fan interest,” said Brownell. “A faster paced game will force players to become more skilled and better decision makers which, in time, will lead to higher quality basketball. Finally, a shot clock in high school will better prepare players for basketball at the next level.”

WHO’S INTERESTED? AND WHAT’S THE COST?

Before bringing the proposal to SCHSL committees, Fowler presented his shot clock initiative at the South Carolina Athletic Administrators Association spring conference in early March of this year.

Fowler said he wanted the chance to gauge interest among each of the classifications.

He conducted a straw poll of athletic directors from Class 5-A down to 1-A, asking each class if they would support his initiative. The results were:

• In Class 5-A, 52 voted yes, two voted no.

• In Class 4-A, 35 voted yes, seven voted no.

• In Class 3-A, 20 voted yes, 15 voted no.

• In Class 2-A, 18 voted yes, 25 voted no.

• In Class 1-A, 9 voted yes, 37 voted no.

In the lower two classes, Fowler said he was completely shut down.

“They all looked at me and I could tell they thought, ‘You’re big old Byrnes. You’ve got all the money in the world. We don’t have that kind of financial freedom.’ And I definitely understand that concern,” said Fowler.

The lower the class, the lower the interest. The smaller the schools, the smaller the appeal.

Finances — along with the perceived lack of means to train someone in-house to run the shot clock — play a major role in hesitation from lower classifications.

Jamar Armstrong is the head coach of Greer Middle College basketball, a Class 2-A program for the past decade. Though GMC already has a shot clock installed in its gym, Armstrong says he understands the concerns of some fellow smaller schools.

“I do see some smaller schools and lower classifications potentially having issues,” said Armstrong. “We had a shot clock installed when we first built our gym, but there are some schools in our class and lower where finances might make that a little harder to come by.”

“That’s what the two-year transition, that trial period is for,” Fowler said. “Hopefully in that time, all schools will see how beneficial the shot clock is.”

Fowler’s proposal included two cost options.

The first is a “basic” plan that would range from $1,000-2,000 in cost:

• Includes two wireless shot clocks, two wireless remotes and two battery chargers

• No hard wire installation is required. No changes to the electrical framework of the facility.

• Shot clock set up on catacorner movable stands, NOT installed above the backboard.

The second plan is an “advanced” plan that would range from $2,300-$3,000 in cost:

• Includes two wireless shot clocks, two wireless remotes, two battery chargers, and two mounting brackets.

• No hard wire installation is required. No changes to the electrical framework of the facility.

• Shot clock mounted and installed above the backboard.

Fowler said in Georgia five years ago, their high schools also used a similar trial run to raise funds, except for three years instead of two.

By the end of that three-year period, every single school in Georgia had opted into using a permanent shot clock. They’d raised the necessary funds and trained shot clock operators, too.

Beginning in 2022, all Georgia High School Association games are now played with a 35-second shot clock.

“Even the smallest, lowest-income schools in Georgia were able to do it after the three years,” said Fowler. “Not a single school decided against it. And they haven’t looked back since. That’s what I hope happens here in South Carolina.”

THE ONLY THING TO FEAR…

With shot clocks set to be implemented in South Carolina on Fowler’s optional, situational basis, he hopes that sooner or later, they become a permanent staple of the state game.

“People have hangups, but in my mind, there will be hangups whenever we finally decide to do this,” said Fowler. “Even if we wait another 10 years, there will still be the same bumps in the road 10 years from now. So why wait and fall further behind everyone else?”

Fowler says fear, above all else, has prevented the state from making a move earlier. The first step has been taken. But there’s still a good ways to go, he admits.

“Fear immobilizes people. Fear makes people afraid of giving new things of shot in all walks of life. That’s where I’m at with it,” said Fowler.”

“Luckily, we’ve got some basketball-minded people on these committees that have helped put this in place. We’ve fought the good fight. And we’re definitely still fighting the good fight. I just hope and pray I can coach at least a season of full-time shot-clock basketball.”