It might still be awhile before Skyy Clark plays a college basketball game, but — when he does — he'll be playing it in a Kentucky uniform.
Clark — a 6-foot-3 point guard from the Nashville, Tenn., area — announced his commitment to the Wildcats on Thursday night, ending a recruitment that saw a flurry of interest from the nation's top schools. He ultimately chose UK over North Carolina, Memphis and UCLA.
"Their motto is they're, 'Built different,' and I'm built different, so I want to continue to be different," Clark said when revealing his decision on Overtime's Instagram page. "And there's no better place to go if you want to make it to the league."
For now, Clark remains a member of the 2022 recruiting class, meaning he will have two more seasons of high school basketball ahead of him if he stays in that group. He and his father have left the door open for a move to the 2021 class, however, and no final decision on when Clark enters college is expected until next year. The new UK pledge just turned 17 years old in late July, but he is taking the necessary high school classes to graduate early and begin his college career next summer.
In the meantime, UK has locked down one of the most intriguing backcourt talents in the country, regardless of class. Rivals.com ranks Clark as the No. 13 overall player in the 2022 class, and 247Sports has him at No. 14 on its list. It's also worth noting that the class of 2022 is seen as exceptionally talented, so it's likely that Clark would be ranked in the same area — or perhaps even higher — if he made the jump to '21.
Former Rivals.com national analyst Corey Evans told the Herald-Leader over the summer that he viewed Clark as a player that should already be seen as among the elite at his position.
"I think he might be the best point guard in high school basketball," Evans said, a few weeks before taking a job as an NBA scout. "I think his intellect and abilities are second to none. And he might be the most skilled guard I've seen in the past five or six years, with his pace and composure."
Clark averaged 25.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game as a sophomore last season, leading his Heritage Christian (Calif.) squad to a 26-5 record. Often viewed as a "combo guard" early in his high school career, Clark wanted it known that he sees himself as a point guard all the way. His play has backed that up.
"He had to do a whole lot for his high school team, and I think that's why people saw him as a combo. I never did. I think he's one of the truest point guards out there," said Evans, who added that — if Clark stays in the 2022 class — he could ultimately end up in the discussion as one of the very best players in that group, specifically mentioning Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren as possible company in the rankings. Bates and Duren are universally seen as the top two players in the class of 2022. "I think he has superstar abilities," Evans concluded on Clark.
