Skyy Clark, Florida 5-star point guard, commits to Illinois, becomes highest-rated pledge in program history
A month after requesting his release from the Kentucky Wildcats, Montverde Academy five-star point guard Skyy Clark has found a new home.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound floor general announced his commitment to the Illinois Fighting Illini over fellow finalists Louisville, Maryland, Tennessee, USC and Washington at halftime of a State Champions Invitational game on ESPNU.
Clark, the nation’s No. 26 overall prospect and No. 5 point guard, is the highest-rated pledge in the modern history of the Illinois men’s basketball program, eclipsing class of 2010 four-star small forward Jereme Richmond.
"He is a really charismatic and creative combo guard who plays with a flair for the game," ESPN national recruiting analyst Adam Finkelstein said. "He's really shifty with his handle and has a lot of tricks in the lane as a finisher. He would have an opportunity to fit into a role that (Andre) "Poppy" Curbelo left [via transfer]."
For Clark, a turning point in his recruitment may have come with a key in-home visit with Illinois in late March.
“I love Coach (Brad) Underwood,” he told On3Sports. “He’s another coach that’s just super cool and I like the way he pushes his players. That was my first time meeting him, and he left a really good impression. But I’ve known Coach Tim (Anderson) for as long as I can remember. He recruited me to DePaul in eighth grade. Me and Coach Tim have always kept a super-strong relationship.”
The recruiting process has been a long journey for Clark.
He originally committed to Kentucky in October 2020, becoming the first member of the Wildcats’ 2020 recruiting class.
But after suffering a torn ACL last summer, the dynamic guard began reconsidering his recruitment and decommitted from Kentucky last month.
Illinois’ 2022 recruiting class was ranked No. 18 nationally to begin the day, but jumps to No. 8 - one spot behind Michigan - with the addition of Clark, leapfrogging notable programs UCLA, Texas, North Carolina, Villanova and Indiana.
He joins a class that already boasts Illinois four-star power forward Ty Rodgers, North Carolina four-star combo guard Jayden Epps and Ohio four-star shooting guard Sencire Harris.
