This isn’t the first year that The Basketball Tournament will be using the unique “Elam Ending” rule at the end of games.

The “Elam Ending,” as it’s known, helps take away the late-game fouling that some basketball games see during crunch-time. This year, the ending sets a “target score” after the first dead ball whistle after the time goes below four minutes in the final quarter. The clock also gets turned off for the remainder of the game. The target score is set as the leading team’s score, plus eight for this year’s tournament.

The first team to reach the target score wins the game.

The unique rule was invented by Ball State University professor Nick Elam who focused on how to keep the normal flow of a game going until the final buzzer, thus the birth of the ending.

Aftershocks’ head coach Karon Bradley has “no worries” about the unique game rule heading into play on July 25.

“It is something different, but you can’t worry about it,” Bradley said. “I think it’s one of those things that you don’t know what to expect until it happens.”

Bradley and the rest of the coaches already have plays and plans as some sort of preparation for the different game-ending scenario, but refused to spoil any secrets.

“The coaching staff has strategies, but I’m going to keep those secret,” Bradley said. “I don’t want any word getting out about what we might produce.”

Most of the players are also laid back about the situation, especially former All-Final Four forward Cleanthony Early. Early, who arrived in Wichita on Sunday morning, has no worries for what is ahead.

“I just got here, and I have no worries,” Early said on Sunday. “I haven’t watched film or anything, I’m just ready to play.”

“Whatever happens, happens.”