Guard Skyy Clark reverses decision to cut KU, DePaul, now has recruiting list of 10
Skyy Clark will be well-prepared the day the NCAA allows college basketball players to benefit financially off their own names, images and likenesses.
“I’ve been trying to create a logo. There’s so much you can do with ‘Skyy’ and the fact I can jump,” Clark, a 6-foot-2 junior point guard sensation from Brentwood Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, said last week on Fox Sports’ Mark Titus/Tate Frazier podcast.
“I’ve never had a problem with it. I’ve always loved it,” Clark added of his unique first name.
There’s still a chance Clark will someday be bringing his name and his game to the University of Kansas. Clark, the No. 16-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2022, reported on Twitter on Monday that he’d added KU and DePaul to his list of eight schools.
Clark — he averaged 25.5 points and 4.2 assists as a sophomore at Heritage Christian High School in Los Angeles before transferring to Brentwood Academy — on Aug. 8 announced a final eight of Kentucky, North Carolina, Memphis, Tennessee State, Michigan, UCLA, Oregon and USC.
On that day he cut the Jayhawks, Blue Demons and several other contenders. KU and DePaul reappeared Monday.
“I added Kansas to my list after dropping my Top 8 because even though they didn’t make the Top 8 they went harder in recruiting me and that meant a lot to me,” Clark told Jayhawkslant.com.
“A lot of schools I never heard from again, but Kansas turned it up a notch, which I loved. It showed me how they thought of me as a player and a person.”
Clark is still considering switching from the recruiting Class of 2022 to 2021.
“Whether or not either program (KU, DePaul) will have an impact on his recruitment is unknown, especially considering the fact that there’s a consensus among college basketball insiders and recruiting analysts that Clark will ultimately choose Kentucky,” wrote Blake Cockrum of keepingitheel.com.
“It is worth noting, though, that DePaul has officially made Clark’s final list after he decommitted from the school following a pledge that he made to the Blue Demons in eighth grade,” Cockrum added.
Of Clark, Cockrum wrote: “He is a good ballhandler, distributor and shooter. He keeps defenses honest with his ability to knock down shots from long range, or dish to an open teammate for an easy score. He’s capable of beating his defender off the dribble and getting inside the arc for a mid-range bucket. He’ll also drive the lane through traffic and finish with a bucket inside the paint. He possesses tremendous basketball I.Q., court vision and athleticism. Clark also has good size for his position that helps him play strong, tenacious defense.”
Clark, a former AAU teammate of LeBron James’ son, Bronny, also has an engaging personality and appears a natural to be able to take advantage of whatever name, image and likeness products the NCAA will allow players to sell while in college. The U.S. government has indicated it will implement a name, image, likeness plan for college athletes in the near future if the NCAA doesn’t pass a plan of its own.
“My relationship with the (college) coaches is definitely a huge thing (in his recruitment),” Clark, nicknamed ‘Hibachi’ by former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, said. “I just look at the list of point guards they produce and how they’ve continued on throughout the NBA. Some college produce point guards but once their point guards get to the league they don’t really sustain a super long and successful career. So you’ve got to take that into mind. Yes they’re producing NBA players, but how are they playing and succeeding while they’re in the league?”
He may take his time in picking a school. There’s a chance he could go straight to the NBA Draft if it allows high school seniors in the 2022 draft.
“I started out with a Top Five. Picking five schools was hard,” Clark said on the Titus/Frazier podcast. “I went to six. Picking six was hard. I went to seven. USC called the day before the day I was going to put it out. They said they offered me a year ago. I didn’t know that so I made it eight,” he added.
And now it’s 10 with DePaul and KU back in contention.
Big man Ayomide considering KU
KU is in the running for Sam Ayomide, a 6-11, 255-pound senior center from Phelps School in Malvern, Pennsylvania who is ranked No. 144 in the recruiting Class of 2021 by Rivals.com.
He’s received scholarship offers from KU, Illinois, LSU, Memphis, Providence, Seton Hall, Temple, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and others.
“In the small ball era, many are enamored with smaller, more athletic ‘bigs’ that can play out in space. But, there will always be room for a more traditional big man, especially one who moves from rim to rim like Ayomide does,” wrote Eric Bossi of Rivals.com. “He loves contact, attacks rebounds with both hands above the rim and makes the most of his offensive opportunities. He looks like a multiple-year starter for a high-major program.”
Huntley-Hatfield update
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, a 6-9, 220-pound junior power forward from Scotland (Pennsylvania) Campus High School, who is ranked No. 5 in the recruiting Class of 2022 by Rivals.com, has co-leaders in Auburn and Mississippi, according to Corey Evans of Rivals.com.
Others on his list: Kansas, Louisville, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Georgia.
“Some were shocked by Kentucky’s exclusion from Huntley-Hatfield’s list of his final eight schools that he released over the weekend. The Wildcats were a dream school for Huntley-Hatfield growing up, and he is the younger cousin of former UK standout Alex Poythress,” wrote Evans of Rivals.com. “However, Kentucky has just not recruited Huntley-Hatfield as hard and diligently as all the other programs found on his final list. By cutting UK now, Huntley-Hatfield can focus on places that he can realistically see himself in a year or two.”
Huntley-Hatfield is another player who could move from the Class of 2022 to 2021. He has said he will pick a school on Jan. 21, his sister’s birthday.
“A reclassification could definitely be in the plans. Huntley-Hatfield was originally a member of the 2021 class, but he moved into the 2022 class two years ago. He has the talent and size to impact a college playing floor already, which would make his reclassification attainable if he decides to go that route,” wrote Evans.
This story was originally published September 3, 2020 at 9:37 AM with the headline "Guard Skyy Clark reverses decision to cut KU, DePaul, now has recruiting list of 10."
