Primary rule changes in NCAA men's basketball
- Shot clock of 30 seconds
- Removal of a timeout from coaches
- Adjustment of media timeout procedures
- New referee emphasis, including post play physicality
There are naysayers to all the rule changes in the men's college basketball game. Ball State head coach James Whitford is not one of them.
Whitford said the rules were well thought out and will help move the game in a good direction. He praised shortening the shot clock to 30 seconds, and said they will help college basketball become more consistent with the NBA and the International game.
Some of the less notable changes are just as important as the primary altercations, he added.
“I think a lot of the other rules that don’t get as much publicity are good changes,” Whitford said.
A specific change that Whitford favors is the removal of a timeout from the coaches. Also, a timeout called within 30 seconds of a media timeout will take the place of the media timeout.
Prior to the rule change, there were four media timeouts per half during a college game. Only three timeouts will carry over instead of four next season.
The fewer timeouts will help increase the flow of a game that was, "quite frankly not very fun to watch."
“We don’t need [the extra timeout] as coaches, and it just makes us adjust a little bit differently," Whitford said. "But I think it rewards teams that understand how to play without the coach, and that’s the way it should be.”
Whitford is looking for his team to improve following a 7-23 campaign in his third season at the helm.
After adding size to the roster in an effort to protect the rim, Ball State may experience some of the new referee areas of emphasis as well.
The NCAA added physicality in the post to its referee watch list for next season.
In a game of skill, there's no room in the game for the pushing and shoving that has gone on, Whitford said.
“It’s not football," Whitford added. It should be called that way.
"Our need for size had nothing to do with the rules. Our need for size is to protect the rim defensively,” Whitford said.
Whitford compared his team's need for size to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Center Timofey Mozgov was a key cog in the Cavs' win in games two and three, as well as scoring 28 points in a game four loss.
In game five, however, he only played nine minutes because the Warriors went small for most of the game.
Whitford said the NCAA game should be officiated the same way as the NBA has been in The Finals.
Although there may be further changes to the game as time goes on, such as a wider lane, Whitford looks for his team to take the rule changes in stride and keep its style next season.
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