Illinois Basketball: Impact ZZ Clark will have on the Illini

Highly-touted 2024 recruit ZZ Clark announced his commitment to play for the Illinois basketball team back in April.

Just one week after his brother, 2022 four-star guard Skyy Clark, committed to the Illini, ZZ Clark decided to follow in the footsteps of his older brother by also announcing his commitment to the Orange and Blue.

Clark is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard attending Windermere Prep in Windermere, Florida, where he averaged 11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.3 steals in 27 games during his 2022 sophomore season.

Although Clark is yet to be ranked by any recruiting sites, the Windermere Prep product has earned eight offers from the likes of Kansas, Creighton, Vanderbilt, Washington, and Arizona State, among others.

How does the commitment by ZZ Clark impact the Illinois basketball team?

When 2024 comes around, head coach Brad Underwood is going to be gifted a point guard who can score from anywhere and is always looking to improve each aspect of his game.

A proven three-level scorer, Clark can shoot the three-ball – especially in the clutch – and can easily maneuver his way for a finish under the basket.

Along with his scoring ability, Clark is always actively looking to deliver dimes to the open man – racking up just under five assists per game last season.

One last trait Clark will bring to the Illini is his chemistry with his big brother.  The two were teammates at Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tennessee during ZZ’s freshman year in 2021.

The Clark brothers finished the season among the team’s top five in every single category – points, rebounds, assists, and steals.  Skyy led the team with 26.4 points per game with ZZ finishing fourth with 10.6.

The two made a significant impact in the 11 games they played in together, leading the Tigers to an 8-3 record.  This includes a notable 51-point monster outing from Skyy and a 19-point performance from ZZ.

If Skyy sticks around for the 2024 season, the two will get the opportunity to showcase their chemistry at the Big Ten level.

With his commitment, Clark became the second member of the Illini’s 2024 recruiting class, joining four-star power forward Morez Johnson. It is still very early, but Clark and Johnson give the Illini the No. 1 class in the country for 2024, according to 247Sports.