Illinois Basketball: Illini freshman has a golden opportunity after Skyy Clark departure

The Illinois basketball program has hit a rough patch, and things seem to be getting a little rougher.

On Friday afternoon, Illini Guys reported that class of 2022 superstar recruit Skyy Clark is no longer with the program. This news comes on the heels of a brutal loss to Northwestern that dropped the Illini down to 9-5 on the season and 0-3 in the Big Ten.

Coming out of Montverde Academy, Clark was one of the highest-rated recruits in the country. He was rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 33 player in the class of 2022. He was also the No. 6 point guard in the country and the No. 9 player coming out of Florida.

It was exciting landing Clark over teams like Kentucky. Since 247Sports started compiling rankings back in, roughly, 2003, there are only four other Illini commits who were rated higher than Clark. So, on paper, this is a huge loss for the program.

Illinois basketball has a star in the waiting after the departure of Skyy Clark.

Clark saw action in 13 games for the Illini this season, and he started in 12 of those contests. He averaged 7.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists during the 24.4 minutes in each game.

It is a bit sad to see Clark go, but I wish him nothing but the best. With that being said, I think this is a golden opportunity for Jayden Epps to step up into the superstar role officially.

I think it was evident that Clark was struggling with the speed of the college game. He looked lost on the court quite a bit, and he was a turnover machine, averaging 2.1 turnovers per game, which was third on the team.

For the past few weeks, though, I have wanted Epps to play more. Fans have wanted Epps to play more. It is now time for Epps to shine.

So far this season, Epps is averaging 9.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 35% from three-point range and 82.4% from the free throw line. All of those are great numbers for a true freshman.

Epps is now on a three-game streak of scoring double-digit points and has hit that mark in seven out of the last 10 contests.

Beyond his great scoring ability, the energy that Epps brings to the game is exactly what Illinois needs. He is someone who can spark the program with his quick moves and ability to knock down shots from long range. I would imagine Epps steps into the starting No. 1 guard spot, and Illinois should play a better brand of basketball.

While it is never fun to lose a player, I think Illinois is going to be okay with Clark departing. Epps is going to lead the way with Sencire Harris and Ty Rodgers forming one of the best trio of freshmen we have ever had.