Seth Davis offers ideas for college basketball makeover

March 3, 2015 / Basketball
College basketball has been in an offensive rut for years, sending some into a panic as they frantically search for ideas on how to increase scoring.

College basketball is having the worst offensive season in modern history. | Photo: Adam Glanzman, Wikimedia Commons
College basketball is having the worst offensive season in modern history. | Photo: Adam Glanzman, Wikimedia Commons

Sports Illustrated’s Seth Davis wrote this column this week, examining this issue. As he notes, the 2014-15 season is turning out to be the worst offensive season in modern history. Through mid-February, teams were averaging 67.1 points per game, which is the lowest since 1952, he wrote.

Davis’ article offers some insight into the decline and how it came to be, but the most interesting nuggets are his five ideas to put the game back on the right track. He recommends college basketball:

• Reduce the shot clock to 30 seconds.

• Extend the arc under the basket to four feet.

• Widen the lane.

• Extend the 3-point line.

• Decrease the number of time outs.

The first two recommendations are already on the NCAA’s radar. The shot clock will be reduced and the arc extended during this year’s NIT. The results will be examined by a committee that will then ponder whether it made enough difference to warrant consideration on a larger scale. More about that here.

It’s an interesting column and we recommend you read it when you have the time. Davis isn’t the only one concerned about the current state of college basketball, and it’s entirely possible we see significant changes to the game in the coming years.

Do you agree or disagree with Davis’ comments, or have ideas of your own? Leave them in the comments section below or send us an email at [email protected]


One thought on “Seth Davis offers ideas for college basketball makeover”

  1. The problem is bad shots, too many end of shot clock one on one situations where they just throw something at the rim. Lowering the shot clock to 30 or 24 seconds will just make it worse.

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