Kentucky loses commitment from 2022 four-star PG Skyy Clark

On3 imageby:Joe Tipton03/06/22

TiptonEdits

Montverde (Fla.) Academy point guard Skyy Clark has decided to reopen his recruitment, backing off his pledge to the Kentucky Wildcats, he tells On3.

Clark was the first recruit in his class to land a scholarship offer from John Calipari, as well as the first to commit to the ‘Cats, in October of 2020, before the start of his junior season. The 6-foot-3 guard made it official by signing on the first day of the early signing period in November. However, he has now requested to be released from his National Letter of Intent.

Clark is just the third recruit to back out of a commitment to Kentucky in the Calipari era, following Nolan Hickman in 2021 (currently at Gonzaga) & DJ Jeffries in 2019 (who’s now at Mississippi State, after spending two seasons at Memphis).

Clark’s statement

Clark sent the following statement to On3 regarding his decommitment:

First and foremost I would like to thank Coach Cal, the entire coaching staff at UK as well as BBN for all the love and support you all have shown me over the past 2 years. It honestly means the world to me. And that is what has made this decision such a tough one for me. But after a lot of thought and reflection I have decided to ask for my release from the University of Kentucky so I may reopen my recruitment. I will take the next few weeks to regroup with my family to figure out what is the best move going forward. Thank you all and God bless #RespectMyDecision

Clark ranks as the No. 32 overall prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. 

The four-star guard previously considered a dozen schools before narrowing it down to four: Kentucky, North Carolina, UCLA, and Memphis. He also received offers from Michigan, Oregon, USC, Kansas, and others.

Clark now fully recovered

Clark suffered a torn ACL at the beginning of the 2021 grassroots season. Thankfully, he is now fully recovered and plans to help his Montverde Academy squad, the defending national champs, compete at Geico Nationals.

Jamal Richardson, a Nashville-based basketball trainer, gave Skyy some high praise, according to Kentucky.com.

“Right now, he’s a very dynamic player. I think he has the ability to be a game-changer, a program-changer. His game, right now, is just really refined, and he’s locking in on the fundamental things — being a student of the game. He’s really spending a lot of time trying to find ways to affect the game in more ways than just scoring. He wants to prove that he’s more than just a scorer. He has the ability to be a great playmaker, and he’s really made a lot of strides there. I think his ceiling is very high, and he has the right attitude and work ethic and mindset. And that’s why he’s going to continue to be successful.”