Coaches split on 35-second clock

A sampling of Maine basketball coaches showed sharp division in opinion on Wednesday’s news the NCAA rules committee has voted to reduce the men’s shot clock from 45 to 35 seconds.

The rule change will affect both NCAA and NAIA schools, meaning every college team in Maine is going to have to hurry up its game.

“I like it,” said Husson College Coach Bruce MacGregor, whose NAIA program is known for uptempo play. “I’ve always liked the international rule (30 seconds) anyway. This is a step in that direction. It will speed up the game even more.”

University of Maine head coach Rudy Keeling gave the change a less than enthusiastic endorsement.

“I think it’s kind of crazy,” said Keeling, head of the state’s only NCAA Division I program. “I don’t oppose it. I don’t think it’s that big a deal. But it’s drawing the college game closer and closer to the NBA.”

Keeling said the reduction will tend to force all college teams to play similar, pressing, uptempo styles.

“You’re taking away the chance of the lesser team winning the game,” said Keeling. “Look at Princeton. The purist likes the way Princeton plays. They like the way a team with lesser talent can hold the ball and even things up with halfcourt execution. Now, with 35 seconds, if a team presses and it takes eight seconds to get up the floor, you’ve got to start looking for a shot.”

Rick Simonds, who will return to coach St. Joseph’s College next season after spending a year as a Division I assistant at Davidson, said the change is a slap at coaches.

“I don’t like being told how to coach,” said Simonds, whose small college program has a dual NAIA-NCAA membership. “A lot of people may say with the style we play (uptempo), it won’t make a difference. But I don’t like being mandated to play this way. The more you tie the hands of a coach, the more homogenized the game becomes. Everyone plays the same. I think it’s neat Princeton plays one way and UNLV plays another.”

University of Maine-Machias coach Sean Casey said the rule change is a plus for fans and a challenge for coaches.

“From a fan’s point of view, it will reduce the ability of teams to hold the ball. It’s going to affect coaching and what offense you run. Some offenses predicated on 8 or 10 passes, you won’t be able to run. Overall, the product the fans see will be more exciting,” said Casey, noting coaches will have to teach their teams to execute offenses and defenses quickly and well.

“That’s what the game is all about,” Casey said.