VALENTINE, Neb. - High school basketball players and fans across Nebraska will have a new experience this season. For the first time, all six NSAA classes will be playing with 35 second shot clocks.

“I think it’s a good idea because some possessions can be very long,” said Isaac Cronin, Valentine junior.

The move follows dozens of other states that have already added a shot clock. The NBA first adopted the clock shortly after the Fort Wayne Pistons defeated the Minneapolis Lakers 19-18 in 1950 using a stalling tactic. 

“It will be interesting to see how everybody decides to work around it,” said Ian Bish, Valentine head Girls Basketball coach.

Here in Valentine, coaches are passing around different strategies.

“Offensively at the end of the shot clock, you’re going to have to have some sets whether it’s man or zone,” Bish said.

“We’re going to have two-for-one differences at the end of quarters and halves. For example, if the clock is at 45 seconds,  we’re looking to get a shot off and maybe get a possession back. There’s strategy there,” said Randy Kluender, Valentine head Boys Basketball coach.

The coaches believe one of the biggest challenges for small schools will probably be finding enough staff to run the shot clock. The technology can also be expensive, costing thousands of dollars.

“For the officials it’s something new that they’re going to have to watch. They’re going to have to be looking at the clock every possession,” Kluender said.

And for the players, they hope it will score more interest in the game.

“I think it will be a better experience for the fans because they’ll get to see more crazy shots,” said Cronin.

“I’m excited for our team because we’re going to play way faster because of the shot clock. It’s exciting because we'll get more points on the board,” said Aiden Hand, Valentine junior.