Five-star Montverde (Fla.) Academy point guard Skyy Clark became one of the hottest recruits in the class of 2022 in early March when he backed off his long-standing commitment to Kentucky. Almost exactly one month later, he has a new home in the Big Ten.
Clark, the No. 26 prospect in the class of 2022 according to 247Sports, committed to Illinois on Thursday night. The Tennessee native picked the Fighting Illini over Louisville, Maryland, USC, Tennessee and Washington, among others.
“Why not Illinois?” Clark said after committing, per 247Sports’ Travis Branham. “They’re a proven winning program. Brad [Underwood] lets his guards play, they have a proud tradition, [assistant coach] Tim Anderson is like an uncle to me and they have one of the best in the business strength-and-conditioning coaches Adam Fletcher. Illinois just made more sense for me and what I’m trying to do.
“They all really like each other and they work well together. They’re good with player development, they’re really cool off the court and I feel like they will bring out the best in me each and every day.”
Clark had the chance to play professionally coming straight out of high school, but opted to take his talents to the college ranks. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound point guard attributed this decision to his family background and the importance of taking advantage of his basketball talent to receive a college education.
“My mom and dad both are both educated parents, they preach the importance of the degree and education,” Clark said. “They’re my examples, they’re my role models. I want to be a parent like them, ones who sacrifice for their children daily.”
Clark is the highest-ranked recruit to commit to Illinois in two decades. Underwood’s 2022 recruiting class now ranks in the top 10 nationally.
