Clutch Time: A Shot Clock Novel – A Middle Grade Basketball Novel About a Top Player Proving He's the Best When His Father Returns

Shot Clock #2

by Caron Butler, Justin A. Reynolds

Former NBA All-Star Caron Butler and acclaimed author Justin A. Reynolds deliver another superstar performance in this companion novel to Shot Clock about KO, a budding AAU basketball star as he attempts to find redemption on the court and reconnection with his incarcerated father.

Kofi “KO” Douglas knows how to handle pressure. After all, he is the newly announced #1 ranked AAU player in the country. On the court, his game is as good as it gets—even if his Wolves team lost to the Sabres in the national championship, KO always believes nobody can beat him one-on-one. That is, until his former best friend, Ripp, returns home, just in time for the biggest tournament of the summer, the McNabby. Ripp’s dad plays professional basketball overseas, and Ripp has been tearing up courts there—KO now has his toughest competition yet. 

As KO gears up for this latest challenge, there’s game-changing news at home. KO’s dad, who has been incarcerated for the last seven years, is getting out. It’s been KO and his mom for as long as he can remember, only now his dad is ready to reconnect. It’s another reunion KO isn’t sure he wants to happen, especially as Ripp keeps calling out KO to play him in the McNabby.

With the tournament on the horizon, KO decides to turn to Coach James and the Sabres for help. He may not love the idea of playing with Tony Washington and his former teammates again, but he needs them now more than ever. Can KO prove he’s still the best on the court as his family life turns upside down?

Genres: Sports, Middle Grade

256 pages, Hardcover

Published September 10, 2024

Reviews

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this return to Oasis Springs, we meet new characters. Kofi Douglass is the number one ranked basketball player in the state, playing on the Scorpions team under Coach James. His nemesis is Ripp Ransom, whose father is a professional player, which allows Ransom to travel widely and have a large Instagram following for his travels. Kofi's father has been in jail for half his life. He used to visit with his mother, but when his father was moved from a nearby Wisconsin prison to one in Ohio, it because impossible to continue. When he was seven, he was out with his father with the Ransoms, playing basketball, but his father was arrested and sent to jail, and the situation was never fully explained. Kofi wants to play in a local tournament honoring Dante Jones, who was killed at 17 in the neighborhood, but his mother doesn't really want him to. Kofi's best friend is Mecca, who is interested in filmmaking, but their relationship is somewhat one sided, with Mecca supporting Kofi, but Kofi failing to show up for important moments in her life. When Kofi's father, Gem, is let out of prison several years early, and it is a difficult adjustment to have his father around again. He eventually hears the story of what happened to his father, and the team does well in the tournament.
Strengths: Any book with a basketball player on the cover is going to do well, and Butler is still working as a basketball coach, so students might still know who he is. The inner city setting is well described, and I was glad to see Coach James back. There are not a lot of books where children have parents in prison, and I can only imagine how difficult it is to have a parent return after having been gone for seven years. This is a nice length, and since Shot Clock has been very popular in my library, I am sure there will be a demand for the sequel.
Weaknesses: While this is a sequel, I feel like I missed something with Kofi and Ripp's story. The style also seemed different; there was more texting on the page, and more slang. Maybe it has yet to have a final round of edits.
What I really think: Buy this one for fans of Shot Clock, or Maldonado's Secret Saturdays.

[SOYAMRG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kofi, nicknamed KO, is an up-and-coming young basketball player. At fourteen, he has achieved the notable distinction of being ranked the top AAU player nationally, demonstrating both skill and resilience on the court. However, this promising trajectory is disrupted by interpersonal conflicts with friends and the reappearance of his formerly incarcerated father. These challenges force KO to confront his self-centered approach to the game, realizing that individual talent alone is insufficient for success.

Set within the same fictional universe as Butler and Reynolds' Shot Clock (Harper, 2022), this second installment explores similar thematic territory through the distinct perspective of a new protagonist. The first-person narration effectively portrays KO's adept use of language as a defense mechanism and a means of establishing social standing while simultaneously revealing an underlying vulnerability that facilitates his personal growth. While the narrative is characterized by skillful prose, compelling basketball sequences, and insightful character development, the resolution feels accelerated, potentially leaving readers desiring a more fully developed conclusion.

Despite this, the book is a valuable addition to the series, appealing to readers who enjoy realistic dramas and sports-themed narratives

M.R.
School/Children's Librarian

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars.
Kofi, known as KO, is living his basketball dreams. At fourteen, he’s just been named the number one ranked AAU player in the country, and his comebacks are as sharp as his game. But dreams don’t last, and when conflict with friends and the return of an incarcerated father throw KO off his game, he realizes playing just for himself won’t get him the win. Set in the same world as Butler and Reynolds’ Shot Clock (Harper, 2022), the second in the series traces many of the same themes through a very different main character. Told in the first person, readers see KO adeptly use language to fend off and posture, while maintaining an inner vulnerability that allows him to grow. Virtuoso word play, superb on-court action, and deep insight resolve surprisingly quickly into a neat conclusion, leaving readers wondering if they skipped a chapter. A welcome addition to a series perfect for fans of realistic drama and sport. All characters are African American. Thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an unbiased review.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the companion novel to Shot Clock, Kofi (KO), ranked the #1 player in the state, maybe country,has a chance to win the Dante James MVP memorial trophy and win some money if he and others play in the McNabby. When KO hurts his ankle, mom says no tournament. At the same time, dad is out of prison and KO isn’t sure how he feels about that. KO goes to dinner at Nana’s with mom to see dad, but he tells her I’m doing it for you. Can his dad win his trust back? When it’s time for the tournament, KO has been secretly practicing with the team. Who ends up winning?
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Rae the Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read the first book in the series but this works great as a stand-alone. It’s perfect for helping fill that much needed space of Black boy protagonists in middle grade. I’d definitely add this to a middle school classroom library.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like this one as much as Shot Clock. Still enjoyable and I liked a story featuring a supporting character from the first book.

[Alex Kampman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This will be popular with basketball fans. It’s been awhile since I read the first one, but I don’t remember these characters, but that didn’t take away from the story.