Debate heats up at local tournament: Should NC use a shot clock in high school hoops?
More than 30 states use a shot clock for high school basketball. North Carolina, generally, is not one of them.
During the Carmel Tip-Off Classic this week in Matthews, Phenom Hoops president Rick Lewis used a 30-second shot clock during seven games on Friday and Saturday. Lewis, who has run the regional recruiting service for 16 years, plans to use the clock for his next two events — The Phenom National Tip-Off at Davidson Day on Nov. 14-15 and the George Lynch Invitational on Nov. 21-22.
If this weekend’s experiment was any indication, the shot clock was a big hit.
Caldwell Academy coach Brandon Clifford hadn’t made a post on his X account in nearly a month, but he posted Saturday morning about his team’s experience.
“Our game (Friday) showed why the shot clock should be in NC high school basketball IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote. “Great pace and flow.”
Queen’s Grant coach Joe Badgett, whose team played Forysth Country Day on Saturday, listed a host of benefits that come from using the clock, while agreeing wholeheartedly with Clifford.
“It brings more structure to the game, and it helps prepare kids for college,” Badgett said. “Kids going to college need to know how to play with a clock just like they do in Europe, all the way down to 5- and 6-year-olds.”
Badgett, no stranger to national events and national competition, said he’s seen some out-of-state teams turn down invitations to play in North Carolina events because of the lack of a shot clock. He said some of the state’s top talent is leaving for the same reason.
“We’re getting way behind, and it’s why our best kids are leaving,” Badgett said. “It’s easy to recruit them away, because it’s a totally different ballgame.”
Friday, Queen’s Grant — an N.C. 2A public school — beat Combine Academy’s national team, which has players from multiple states. Badgett was able to play zone defense against a much bigger and more physical team because he knew that Combine would have to continue to run its offense and shoot the basketball.
In a game without the shot clock, at Victory Christian on Monday, Badgett used a similar zone strategy against another team with regional talent and massive size. But without the shot clock, it didn’t work as well.
“You can’t zone them up because we get in foul trouble, and they shot 40 3s,” Badgett said. “And on some possessions, they ran off, like, a minute, 15 seconds before they shot. There’s no level of basketball anywhere where that makes sense. It puts us behind in development compared to European countries, and we’re getting behind other states, too.”
The NC High School Athletic Association and the N.C. Independent Schools have discussed the potential to add shot clocks, and at least three times in the past three years, the N.C. Basketball Coaches Association has submitted a proposal to the NCHSAA to adopt a shot clock here.
Opponents of the proposal look at cost as a major factor.
Lewis said Phenom Hoops bought four clocks, plus tripods to place them on, from Amazon for $1,500 and that he paid someone $15 per game to operate them.
“Everybody talks about the cost,” Lewis said. “But it was really easy. You don’t have to have an official to do it. And all these games we had, and we only had one shot clock violation.”
Badgett thinks the cost argument doesn’t have to be a shot clock killer.
“We always pick up on the rules last,” he said. “North Carolina is behind because our state association won’t make decisions, so what happens is you’ve got schools complaining about the shot clock because they don’t want to spend money, and one complaint is you’ve got to pay a fourth official to run it. What official keeps the score clock? You’re not paying an official to do that. So people come up with excuses instead of the state saying, ‘We’re going to do it,’ and if we need to supplement (schools to offset costs), we’ll get it done.”
At Ambassador Christian, former Myers Park High state champion Scott Taylor doesn’t yet belong to a state association. He said he’s considered adding the shot clock to his home games.
He thinks every school should.
“I think we see that some of our younger players, even the more skilled ones, don’t necessarily have a great game awareness or great decision-making skills compared to some of their counterparts across the rest of the world,” Taylor said. “We played in events (when I was at Myers Park) that had shot clocks. Those guys that use it see the game and play the game at such a high level of understanding. It’s the way it should be played, just like everywhere else in the world.”
Saturday’s #BIG5 top performers
Mekhi Allen, Queen’s Grant: Allen had 21 points, eight rebounds, an assist and a steal against Forsyth Country Day.
Romain Boyer, Concord Academy: In a 72-62 win over Combine Academy, Boyer had 33 points and two steals. He made nine 3-point shots.
Jayon Connor, Forsyth Country Day: In a 74-56 win over a shorthanded Queen’s Grant team, Connor had 28 points, six rebounds, three steals and an assist. Queen’s Grant played without its top player, 6-9 sophomore Chase Smith, who was in street clothes.
Grant Duggins, Greensboro Day: In a 48-44 win over Carmel Christian, Duggins had 10 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and an assist.
Cameron Newman, Gaston Christian: In a 72-59 win over The Burlington School, Newman, a point guard, had 20 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and a steal.
Saturday’s Carmel Tip-Off box scores
CONCORD ACADEMY 72, COMBINE ACADEMY 62
Concord Academy 14 22 20 16 — 72
Combine National 21 15 10 16 — 62 CONCORD ACADEMY 72 — Romain Boyer 33, James Minlend 13, Jonas Agyeman 11, Mata Vidakovic 7, Cruz Miller 5, Lincoln Raper 3 COMBINE ACADEMY 62 — Elhadji Diallo 23, Jeromy Davis 19, Simon Stipic 9, Jayden Heggins 7, Freddy Lyakine 4 Notable: Concord Academy (2-0) next game Nov. 11 @ Cannon; Combine National (0-2) next game Nov. 11 vs. Parris Prep
FORYSTH COUNTRY DAY 74, QUEEN’S GRANT 56
QUEEN’S GRANT 56 — Bobby Montgomery 12, Preston Scott 11, Mekhi Allen 21, Jackson 2, DeBerry 8, McSweeney 2
FORSYTH COUNTRY DAY 74 — Gomez 2, Graham 3, Adams 3, Jayon Connor 28, Q Williams 13, Greene 3, Butler 2, Daltoon 4, Max Von Weardhuien 10, Nwokemada 6
GASTON CHRISTIAN 72 — J. Makoi 2, Cam Newman 20, Jeremy Duhon 11, Brayden Milner 13, K. Makoi 2, Joy 5, Jaishawn Woods 16
THE BURLINGTON SCHOOL 59 — Miles 6, Nicholson 2, Watlington 6, Geren Holmes 21, Julian Lowe 12, Johnson 9, Phillip 4
GREENSBORO DAY 48, CARMEL CHRISTIAN 44
CARMEL CHRISTIAN 44 — Haggerty 2, Wood 9, Johnson 9, Kaminski 2, Gutierrez 3, Noch 6, Gerould 3, Buzzard 5, Vicks 5
GREENSBORO DAY 48 — Marty Giant 10, Emerson 5, Jurgens 1, Micah Gunter 10, Grant Duggins 10, Adigun 7, Robinson 4
Next week’s schedule
(Unless otherwise noted, all matchups are girls-boys doubleheaders, with girls’ games at 6 p.m. and boys’ games following)
Monday
Nonconference
Lab Univ. Christian at Combine Elite (boys), 6 p.m.
Piedmont Community Charter at Community Christian
Sugar Creek Charter at Southlake Christian, 5:30 p.m.
Walnut Grove Christian at Jackson Day (boys), 6 p.m.
Tuesday
Nonconference
Arborbrook Christian at Socrates Academy, 5:30 p.m.
Cabarrus Stallions at Westminster Catawba (girls), 5:30 p.m.
Carolina International at Southlake Christian, 5:30 p.m.
Christ School at Gaston Day (boys), 7 p.m.
Concord Academy at Cannon School (boys), 7 p.m.
NorthPoint Christian at Covenant Day, 5:30 p.m.
Queen’s Grant Charter at Ambassador Christian, 5:30 p.m.
South Charlotte Thunder at Metrolina Christian (girls), 5:30 p.m.
University Christian at Gaston Day (girls), 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Nonconference
Bessemer City at Hunter Huss
Pageland (SC) Central at Piedmont (boys), 7 p.m.
Piedmont Community Charter at Lab Univ. Christian (boys), 7 p.m.
Thursday
Nonconference
Arborbrook Christian at Charlotte Christian (boys), 7:30 p.m.
Concord Academy at Charlotte Country Day (girls), 5:30 p.m.
Covenant Day at High Point Wesleyan (boys), 7 p.m.
Jackson Day at Charlotte Christian (girls), 6 p.m.
Lee Park Prep at Gaston Day, 5:30 p.m.
Metrolina Christian at Charlotte Country Day (boys), 7 p.m.
Miller Creek Christian at Statesville Christian, 5 p.m.
Queen’s Grant Charter at Carmel Christian, 5:30 p.m.
Victory Christian at Providence Day (girls), 5:30 p.m.
Friday
Phenom Hoops Tip-Off
(at Davidson Day)
(boys)
Phoenix Montessori vs. Winston-Salem Christian, 5 p.m.
Ambassador Christian vs. Combine Academy, 6:30 p.m.
Davidson Day vs. Providence Day, 8 p.m.
Mecklenburg nonconference
Carmel School at Concord Academy, 5:30 p.m.
Christ School at Victory Christian (boys), 6:30 p.m.
Corvian Community at Lincolnton
Garinger at Ballantyne
Hopewell at Thomasville (girls), 6 p.m.
Lake Norman Charter at Union Academy
Liberty Prep at Hickory Grove Christian, 5:30 p.m.
Mallard Creek at Rocky River
Mooresville at Community School of Davidson (girls), 5 p.m.
South Mecklenburg at Ardrey Kell
West Mecklenburg at Berry Academy
Area nonconference
Ashbrook at Bessemer City
Cabarrus Stallions at Langtree Charter
Cannon School at Gaston Day (boys), 7 p.m.
East Gaston at North Gaston
Freedom at Cuthbertson (girls), 6 p.m.
Hickory Christian at Gaston Day (girls), 5:30 p.m.
Highland Tech at Piedmont Community Charter
Lee Park Prep at Gaston Christian (boys), 7 p.m.
Spartanburg Day at Westminster Catawba (girls), 5:30 p.m.
Sun Valley at Anson County
Weddington at Cox Mill
Winston-Salem Christian at Cannon School (girls), 5:30 p.m
. Saturday
Phenom Hoops Tip-Off
(at Davidson Day)
(boys)
Hopewell vs. Mallard Creek, noon
Chambers vs. Forsyth Country Day, 1:30 p.m.
Combine Academy vs. Phoenix Montessori, 3 p.m.
Providence Day vs. Gaston Christian, 4:30 p.m.
Concord Academy vs. Winston-Salem Christian, 6 p.m.
Davidson Day vs. Christ School, 7:30 p.m.
Nonconference
Asheville School at Southlake Christian, 1 p.m.
Cabarrus Stallions at Chatham Home School (girls), 4 p.m.
Legacy Prep at Charlotte Country Day, 1:30 p.m.
Victory Christian at Jackson Day (boys), 6 p.m.
Winston-Salem Christian at Concord Academy (boys), 6:30 p.m..
This story was originally published November 9, 2025 at 6:15 AM with the headline "Debate heats up at local tournament: Should NC use a shot clock in high school hoops?."
