NCAA shot clock history.

[Camron Rust]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

I think I remember that when the 45 second clock was introduced as an experiment, it was used for the whole game except the last 4 minutes. I have no idea why it was done that way, but I can distinctly remembering yelling at the TV, "Then what's the point!?!?!" Almost the only time that you ever saw the 4-corner stall was in the last 4 minutes. And that's when they turned off the shot clock. Dumb.

Then you don't recall the real impetus for adding it: Dean Smith. He'd sometimes go into four corners in the first half if he had the lead and didn't think his team could keep it. There was a Duke vs. UNC game that 7-5 at the half and final was 21-20. That would be a boring game. I'm sure there were other examples but I don't have the time to search for them.

I think the original idea was that they didn't want the whole game to be a stall game so that there would be something to watch. But, they held onto the idea that a team that earned a lead near the end of the game should not be forced to take action....it was up to the defense to attack the ball.