The Clock Keeps Ticking for Shot Clocks in Ohio High School Basketball

49 minutes ago

Steven Wasserman,

COLUMBUS, OH – The time for a shot clock in high school basketball has picked up steam around the country, with 32 state associations adopting the use of the timer on the hardwood.

During the annual meeting between the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association (OHSBCA) and Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) on Tuesday, a shot clock proposal from the former was brought to the table during discussions, a place it never left.

While acknowledging the proposal, OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said that “our board is not ready to pass that”. That being said, Ute did say that the OHSAA does have an ongoing discussion about the matter, something that’s been sought after for years.

Though the official wait goes on for a universal shot clock in the state of Ohio, isolated events have tested out a 35-second clock over the last two years, including most notably the “OHSBCA Shot Clock Shootout) held at The Canton Memorial Field House each of the last two Decembers.

It is an event which boasts some of the top boys and girls basketball teams around the state on the campus of McKinley High School, including the Maysville Panthers boys team, which is unbeaten in the two years since the event’s inception.

“A lot of people talk about the shot clock, and I think it’s a great thing for basketball” said Brown before Maysville’s game against powerhouse St. Vincent-St. Mary back in December of 2025. “You know, I think it allows skill to come out. You got to have quick possessions.”

Brown added that the clock did not factor into the Panthers game plan during either event, going so far as to say he’s not sure his team has had a 35-second possession during his tenure in Southtown.

The wait goes on, and the clock keeps ticking, but the OHSBCA did confirm on Monday that eleven different events are approved to utilize the shot clock during the 2026-2027 high school season. These include the ‘Todd Kalivoda Holiday Showcase’ from Toronto Hgih School in late December which will feature the Maysville boys, as well as the “Buckeye 8 Challenge’ from the ECO Center in St. Clairsville Two additional Muskingum Valley League boys teams will participate in that event: Philo and Sheridan.

The complete list of approved events are as follows: