New NCAA Men's Basketball Rules--a few thoughts

The NCAA has adopted new NCAA rules for men's basketball.  I think there are some interesting things and, if implemented, will help to make the game more enjoyable and have less downtime.

The change that is getting the most play is the move to the 30-second shot clock.  BG played in the CIT last year, which used that kind of clock.  I didn't think that it made that much of a difference...and in fact I don't even think it caused more potential.  For too many teams, offense is pound the ball for 30 seconds and then run a 5-second play, so we get 5 seconds removed from that.  Maybe some of the other rules changes will help improve that, too.

The change that is getting the least amount of attention is that coaches will no longer be able to call time out during live play.  For those of us who are old this falls under the category of "this is how it used to be" but it will make a big difference.  The best example will be coaches calling timeout like crazy during a scramble for the ball on the floor and getting the TO when their team gets possession for an infinitesimal period of time.  Also, on inbounds plays it will make a big difference.  Essentially, someone on the floor will have to be aware enough to call timeout or get instruction from the bench to call time out.  I'm 100% for this change.  Teams that play good defense should not have to deal with offenses bailing themselves out.

Speaking of timeouts, another long overdue change has to do with timeouts.  The number of timeouts in the 2nd half of a game are ridiculous and unnecessary.  What is going to happen is that teams will only be able to carry over 3 timeouts to the 2nd half...and this is an improvement.  The other improvement is that when a timeout is called within 30 seconds of a scheduled media timeout (or after), than this is counted as the media timeout.  This is also long overdue.  You used to have situations where a team called a timeout, you sat through the timeout and then at the next whistle there was another timeout.

The most wide-ranging decisions are listed as areas of focus, as below.  \

• Perimeter defense, particularly on the dribbler and strictly enforcing directives established before the 2013-14 season.
• Physicality in post play.
• Screening, particularly moving screens and requiring the screener to be stationary.
• Block/charge plays.
• Allowing greater freedom of movement for players without the ball.

These are exactly what the game needs.  The NCAA started with them last year, but the games were ridiculously foul-heavy and I sensed that they backed off.  I am totally in favor of all these things.  The game will thrive with more freedom of movement and if there's an adjustment period with fouls, so be it.  Similarly, the setting of screens has gotten incredibly bad and officials seem to call a quota of two moving screens a game just to say they did.  Players are commonly leaning into screens or not set or even moving with the defender, especially when the ballhandler drives around the screen.

The game can be so good and if players are making plays in space with movement and passing it will be much more entertaining.