Why doesn’t the Catholic League add a shot clock?

I wonder: Is it time for the Philadelphia Catholic League to at least consider leaving the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association?

The thought originated as I lamented the league’s lack of a shot clock during last week’s semifinals at the Palestra.

With about two minutes left in Wednesday’s second semifinal, Archbishop Ryan employed what amounted to a filibuster, protecting a four-point lead against Neumann Goretti. The Raiders, who face defending champ Roman Catholic on Monday night for a chance to win the first PCL boys’ basketball title in school history, did the smart thing.

This isn’t a column criticizing Ryan coach Joe Zeglinski’s strategy. The right move was to protect the ball, force the Saints to foul, sink free throws, and win the game, which Ryan did, 48-43.

Still, I can’t help but think of how fans missed out on what could have been an even more thrilling finish if a 30- or 35-second shot clock, which several states now employ, required more basketball and less hide-and-seek.

But this also isn’t about fan enjoyment or trying to draw more patrons by encouraging faster-paced games and higher point totals.

The NBA sold its soul for more points years ago in hopes of luring casual fans. As a direct result, I find the NBA product largely unwatchable even though I fell in love with basketball because my dad played and coached in that league.

So instead, let’s make this strictly about how not having a shot clock could shape the recruiting stock of players in the PCL.

I should note, the PCL has never given any indication that it is considering exiting the PIAA. Bylaws do allow requests for membership withdrawal, but approval isn’t assured. It’s also worth mentioning that PIAA membership extends far beyond basketball. Athletes from other sports likely benefit handsomely from membership.

When it comes to college basketball, however, competition for scholarships likely hasn’t been this fierce in decades (if ever).

College coaches, under ever-increasing pressure to win immediately, are less likely than ever to spend scholarships on incoming freshmen.

These days they can pick from the transfer portal, which functions as a de facto pool of free agents, many of whom are veterans who might be 20 to 23 years old (if not older).

Rather than choose an 18-year-old high school senior who likely needs time to adjust to life on a college campus, most coaches prioritize players they already know can handle college life and the collegiate game.

Now, consider that, in our area alone, the Inter-Ac and Friends Schools leagues adopted shot clocks years ago.

» READ MORE: Imhotep’s Ahmad Nowell finds motivation in missing the McDonald’s All American cut

If I am a college coach whose livelihood depends on the players he/she recruits, I might be more likely to seek players who have played with a shot clock for four years of high school rather than someone with zero experience.

Obviously, talent, in some cases, trumps all.

A player like Archbishop Wood senior Jalil Bethea, with or without a shot clock, would be heavily recruited no matter what.

But Bethea, one of 24 players across the nation chosen as a McDonald’s All-American, is likely an outlier.

The vast majority of high school athletes are grouped more closely in terms of talent and potential.

In fact, college coaches I’ve spoken to must frequently find ways to separate one recruit from another. Even a negative or positive review from a scouting service can be enough to sway an ambitious college assistant who is sifting through thousands of names.

That brings me back to the PIAA and the PCL.

If I am the parent of an eighth grader who has a chance to earn a college scholarship, I may have already spent thousands of dollars on private coaches for shooting, strength, and agility, and perhaps even separate coaches for jumping and ballhandling. That doesn’t even include the money I may have spent traveling the country for AAU tournaments and showcases.

All of that, ostensibly, is designed to increase the likelihood of earning a scholarship amid rising tuition costs.

So, when choosing a high school, am I going to send my child to a league that cannot prepare my son or daughter for college basketball in one of the ways most fundamental to the college game?

Time might tell.

The Inter-Ac and Friends leagues also have reputations for producing top-tier players. Now that the Inter-Ac has added a shot clock (last season), both leagues, based on their reputations, could boast unmatched abilities to prepare athletes for college athletically and academically.

In 2021, a National Federation of State High School Associations committee voted to adopt a 35-second shot clock but allowed individual state associations to choose for themselves.

The PIAA voted against adding shot clocks in 2022.

I spoke to one PIAA official last week who said, as a member league, the Catholic League likely wouldn’t be able to add a shot clock unless the PIAA voted for the measure across all districts.

All season, I’ve also informally polled dozens of boys’ and girls’ coaches across leagues in our area. I have yet to hear one opposed to adding a shot clock.

Cost, however, is the most frequently cited hang-up, and, to be fair, school administrators, not necessarily coaches, would be more concerned with finances.

According to a cleveland.com inquiry years ago, shot clocks can cost between $5,000 and $10,000, which doesn’t include installation, potential maintenance, and payment to operators.

That would indeed take a sizable chunk out of any school’s budget.

In District 12, Public League coaches don’t seem opposed to shot clocks, but some say costs would likely be too daunting across the district. Interestingly, though, one coach told me that girls’ basketball in the Public League used a shot clock from about the 1970s until 2004-05, when it joined the PIAA and had to discontinue use.

Far be it for me to spend other people’s money, but I would be surprised if the Catholic League, if it wanted to, couldn’t find or raise enough money to outfit each of its schools with shot clocks.

Historically, though, change typically occurs slowly at Catholic institutions. Ironically, evolution suggests that those who do not adapt eventually face consequences.

Earlier this month, I watched Penn Charter, led by two transfers from the PCL, one of whom was previously buried on a PCL bench, win its first outright Inter-Ac title in 20 years.

The Quakers’ first-year coach, Brandon Williams, also a prominent AAU coach, used the postgame celebration to persuade reporters that his league’s prominence is often overlooked in the city.

It’s true that the PCL has earned much of the city’s basketball spotlight. Historically, it remains among the most well-respected high school basketball leagues in the nation, frequently producing, at every level, exceptional college players, many of whom then play in the NBA, overseas, or become coaches, referees, etc.

But what if parents continue to see rival leagues help former PCL players — some of whom had little to no recruiting prospects — earn scholarships, win championships, and perhaps better prepare them for college by offering a shot clock, while their coaches continue promoting rival leagues?

Would it be fair to question if the PCL’s standing in basketball circles would remain the same? Would it be wise to stay the same while others evolve?

Within the last few years, the Inter-Ac, which for years ended its season without playoffs, joined the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association, which crowns its own state champions in boys’ and girls’ basketball, among other sports. PAISAA is also an NFHS member.

Undoubtedly, the postseason nostalgia and atmosphere of a raucous, sold-out Palestra adds a certain mystique and gravitas to the PCL that other leagues lack.

And to its credit, the PCL now streams its games online, including the semifinals and finals at the Palestra. The league also has a website that diligently tracks statistics, schedules, game results, progress of its alums, and relevant media articles.

The argument could also be made that PCL players do eventually get exposure to shot clocks during separate, offseason AAU events, many of which frequently employ shot clocks.

That might also beg the question, though: If rival leagues, AAU events, and, according to NFHS data — at least 27 other state associations — value the shot clock enough to invest in it presumably because it better prepares players for college, why wouldn’t the PCL?

That brings us back to the PIAA, which includes various member schools that have been openly contemptuous of the PCL’s success for years. Many believe it unfair that PCL rosters are not bound by geographic boundaries the way others are throughout the state.

Since it joined the PIAA for the 2004-05 season, in boys’ basketball alone, PCL teams have won 18 PIAA titles, including 10 when the league had four classifications and eight more since 2017 when it switched to six. Similarly, the Pub has won 19 boys’ titles during that span, resulting in open bitterness and resentment toward District 12′s prominence.

Perhaps such embittered schools believe a shot clock would further disadvantage their teams should they want to filibuster their way to a championship.

Whatever the reasoning, based on various reports in recent years, a shot clock in the PIAA doesn’t seem likely any time soon.

In 2022, LancasterOnline reported that, after a PIAA Board of Directors meeting, Robert Lombardi, PIAA’s executive director, suggested a shot clock would amount to an “unfunded mandate,” since member schools, if PIAA adopted the change, would have to spend money to comply.

Schools would also need time for budgeting, officials would need training, and detailed rules would need sorting.

So, if the PIAA looks unlikely to add a shot clock in the near future while other prominent associations expand, evolve, and better prepare their members for college basketball, at what point should the PCL begin considering an exit strategy?