Illinois Basketball: A glimpse of what the Illini are getting with Skyy Clark

The excitement should be building for Illinois basketball point guard Skyy Clark.

Just on paper, Clark is a four-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 26 player in the class of 2022. That is enough for every Illini fan to post the Chris Farley GIF of him flipping up his sunglasses in amazement.

But there is so much more to Clark than just numbers on paper. For example, on Monday, he posted a short video of him working out on the court. Full disclosure, I realize this is just him in athletic shorts and a t-shirt against some meh defense. With that being said, I want to break the video down a little bit and give my thoughts I what I see.

Skyy Clark gives Illinois basketball that physical point guard we have been missing.

I have always had a love for big physical guards who aren’t afraid to body up a defender. When I talk about this style of play, guards like Deron Williams and Andres Feliz come to mind. Both had a bulldog mentality that I absolutely love.

That mentality is in Clark as well. He likes to dive in the lane and take contact. He isn’t going to fade away as he is going to the rim to try to avoid the body blows. It wouldn’t shock me to see Clark get 7-10 free throws per game this season.

Another attribute that Clark possesses that Illinois has been missing for a few years now at point guard is the ability to make shots from more than a couple of feet away.

The touch Clark has from inside of 10 feet is impressive, but I think his ability to shoot the deep ball intrigues me more. His stroke from three-point range is buttery, and his jab step to get the defender on his heels is going to be huge at the college level. This helps create space for a step-back three-point shot.

Clark’s style on the perimeter reminds me a lot of what Jordan Poole has been doing with the Golden State Warriors. He has that quick jab step and then makes a bucket in your eye.

Lastly, Clark’s handles are fun to watch. He can crossover his defender and get his shot. His ability to rock a defender to sleep is so reminiscent of Deron Williams.

This video was less than two minutes, but it gives a small glimpse of what we can expect from Clark in the future. I can’t wait to see this kid dice up the Big Ten.