The controversy in whether Nerlens Noel beat the shot clock late in Kentucky’s victory at Vanderbilt on Thursday night caused a rush to the NCAA rule book.
Here’s the wording of the rule: Sound the shot-clock horn at the expiration of the shot-clock period. This shot-clock horn shall not stop play unless recognized by an official’s whistle. When the shot clock indicates zeros but the shot-clock horn has not sounded, the shot-clock time has not expired.”
That sounds reasonably cut and dried.
But Gerald Boudreaux, the supervisor of Southeastern Conference officials, said there’s some squishy interpretation involved.
He said the decision on whether shot clock violation occurred involves “a judgment call on the part of the officials once they hear the horn sound.”
Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald- Leader has covered Kentucky basketball since the 1981-82 season. That time includes five coaches, five Final Fours, four athletic directors, two interim athletic directors and many memories. Before coming to Lexington, Tipton worked eight years for the Huntington (W.Va.) Herald-Dispatch. He covered Marshall’s basketball team for two seasons before coming to the Herald-Leader.
