Potential suitors for former Kentucky commit Skyy Clark

After backing off his pledge to the University of Kentucky on Friday, Skyy Clark is back on the market for the first time in over a year and a half. The 6-foot-3 guard will have an abundance of potential suitors moving forward as he is now one of the best available prospects in the senior class.

Before committing to John Calipari and the Wildcats in October of 2020, the Montverde (Fla.) Academy guard received scholarship offers from the likes of North Carolina, Kansas, Memphis, Michigan, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and others. 

However, in the end, it came down to four schools: UCLA, North Carolina, Memphis, and of course, Kentucky. 

With UK now out of the picture, who stands the best chance of landing Clark? 

Could UNC be the early favorite?

In the first go-around of Clark’s recruitment, North Carolina appeared to be in a neck-and-neck recruiting battle with Kentucky. In fact, the Tar Heels were even once considered the favorite to land the talented playmaker before UK managed to pull away. 

If Clark were to now choose UNC, he’d likely be able to find playing time immediately. Carolina’s star guard, Caleb Love, could leave for the NBA after this season, opening things up in the backcourt. Assuming RJ Davis returns for his junior season, he and Clark could join forces and create a scary duo in Chapel Hill. 

Keep in mind though, UNC is already bringing in point guard Seth Trimble, the No. 37 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus.

“I’ve been building a really good relationship with Coach Roy [Williams] and Coach Rob [Steve Robinson],” Clark said in an interview with Sports Illustrated prior to choosing Kentucky. “Everybody knows, it’s UNC, they got an amazing history with players and just the school period. I love them.”

Here’s the kicker, though. Roy Williams is now retired, and Steve Robinson is now at Arizona. 

With that being said… 

Could Arizona be an option?

Unlikely, in my opinion.

Yes, Arizona might be known as ‘Point Guard U’, however, Tommy Lloyd and Co. just landed five-star PG Kylan Boswell earlier this week. Boswell is currently a junior in high school, but there is a decent chance he reclassifies to 2022 and heads to Tuscon a year early. 

Even with Clark’s connection to Coach Steve Robinson, I doubt Arizona will be an option. 

How about UCLA, the ‘hometown school’?

Quite frankly, the Bruins weren’t seen as much of a threat to Kentucky and North Carolina in the first go around. 

However, that could very well change, especially considering Los Angeles is Clark’s hometown. 

However, playing time could be much harder to come by at UCLA. 

Tyger Campell, the starting point guard, is nearly a lock to return. Additionally, Jules Bernard and David Singleton could use their COVID year for another season of eligibility. On top of that, Jaylen Clark is expected to have an even larger role next year, with both Johnny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez Jr. likely declaring for the NBA draft. 

Not to mention, Will McClendon, a former top-100 recruit, will make his debut next season after suffering a torn ACL that left him sidelined this year.

And just when you think I’m done…

Mick Cronin is also bringing in two more additions to the backcourt from the high school ranks, highlighted by five-star combo guard Amari Bailey and four-star point guard Dylan Andrews. 

Well, how about Memphis?

Last but not least is Memphis.

The Tigers rounded out the list of schools Clark originally considered along with UNC, UCLA, and UK.

Yes, the Tigers were included as one of his top four choices, however, no one actually expected Clark to choose them.

Thinking optimistically, things might be different this go around. 

First off, playing for Penny Hardaway has proven to be very attractive for recruits. The Memphis legend brought in the No. 1 class in 2019 which featured James Wiseman and 2021 with the duo of Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren. The downside? Penny has not been able to bring his Tigers to the NCAA tournament. 

Something else to consider: Clark has family in Nashville, just three hours away from Memphis. 

In fact, during the peak of COVID, Clark and his family made the move from California to Tennessee, where he attended Ensworth School, located in Nashville, for a short stint. He ended up opting out of the final few weeks of the season due to the pandemic.

With all that being said, I still don’t feel incredibly confident in Memphis’ chances. 

Skyy Clark’s decommitment from Kentucky came as a shock and there is still a cloud of mystery as to what he will do next. 

For the purpose of this story, I only explored the schools Clark previously closely considered (plus Arizona), however, I do expect many more schools than just the ones mentioned here to jump into Skyy’s recruitment.