Illinois Basketball: Illini secure commitment from 5-star PG Skyy Clark

The Illinois basketball team just secured a commitment from one of the best players in the class of 2022.

It has been a bumpy month for the Illini. We fell in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament to Indiana and then were ousted in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Houston. After the loss to the Cougars, both Andre Curbelo and Omar Payne decided to depart the program and enter the transfer portal.

Those two transfers added to the myriad of other talented players Illinois had leave the program due to graduation. But the tides are turning for the Orange and Blue. The Illini have now secured their first five-star commitment since Dee Brown back in 2002.

At halftime of the State Champions Invitational, Montverde Academy point guard Skyy Clark announced that he was committing to Illinois. He decided on the Illini over teams like Louisville, Tennessee, USC, Maryland, and Washington.

Skyy Clark gives the Illinois basketball team a dynamic point guard who has next-level ability.

Clark isn’t just a good recruit. He is a program changer. He is a player who can take Illinois from really good to great. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound point guard is a five-star recruit and the No. 27 player in the class of 2022. He is also the No. 5 point guard in the nation and the No. 7 player coming out of Florida.

247Sports has Clark’s rating at 0.9913. This makes him the highest-rated recruit Illinois has ever secured since 247Sports started rating recruits back in 2003. Jereme Richmond and Ayo Dosunmu are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.

This is a monumental commitment for the Illinois basketball program. With Curbelo leaving, Illinois needed a point guard to take over at the No. 1 spot. Curbelo was supposed to be that guy, but he didn’t want to be in Champaign any longer. So, what does Brad Underwood do? Some would say, he upgraded.

Clark not only brings a great ability to pass the ball, but he can also score well. He can finish at the rim, which is something we have been missing for a while. I also like his ability to shoot from three-point range. He will be better from distance with time, but he is extremely effective nonetheless.

This is a huge commitment for the Illinois basketball program. Clark will start and make an impact from day one. The future is extremely bright for the Orange and Blue.