The NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee recommended reducing the shot clock from 35 to 30 seconds Friday, the biggest step in a series of changes aimed at speeding up a game that has reached historic lows in scoring.
The new shot clock will be in place the next two seasons, the first time it has been reduced since dropping from 45 to 35 seconds in 1993-94.
The changes still must be approved by the NCAA's Playing Rules Oversight Committee, which meets next month.
"We don't think it's going to cause a huge bump," Belmont coach and rules committee chair Rick Byrd said. "We think it's a part of the puzzle, just a piece that helps us get the game headed in the right direction."
Scoring dropped to 67.5 points per game in 2012-13, lowest since 1952 — long before the three-point shot and any kind of shot clock. Scoring bumped up to 71.5 points per game in 2013-14, but dipped again last season to 67.7.
Some coaches have been concerned that the shorter shot clock would lead to more "soft" pressure in the backcourt and zone defenses to slow teams down, along with more last-second desperation shots to beat the shot clock. The new clock also may impact teams that play methodically.
But other coaches have praised the new clock, particularly after testing it out during the postseason tournaments. Byrd said 64 percent of coaches surveyed were in favor of the shortened clock.
The committee recommended reducing second-half timeouts by one per team and removing timeout calls in live-ball situations. Timeouts called within 30 seconds of a scheduled media timeout also would be counted as a media timeout.
