Everyone who follows hoops recruiting closely knew Kentucky's coaching staff was going to contact
Skyy Clark on Monday, the first day it was allowed. The No. 17 player in the Class of 2022 has been a huge priority for John Calipari and the coaching staff the past few months.
Clark heard from the likes of Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and dozens of others. Skyy's father, Kenny, has been a friend of Cats Illustrated since the winter, and once again filled us in Tuesday night on the hectic week, the relationship with the Kentucky staff, and what could come next from the Big Blue.
Q: We talked Saturday and said it was the calm before the storm. Is it as crazy as you thought?
Clark: “Yeah, it’s been crazier than I thought. We may have talked to forty or fifty schools so far just since yesterday. I can’t even remember them all.”
Q: Did the phone start blowing up at midnight Sunday night?
Clark: “Yes it did. I think Florida State was the midnight. They texted or called. Tennessee State. There has been so many.”
Q: What was the pattern? Did you get a couple of calls at midnight then start back up and six or seven, or was it steady throughout the night?
Clark: “No, it started back up in the morning.”
Q: Has it been as busy today (Tuesday) as it was yesterday?
Clark: “No, it wasn’t as busy as it was Monday, but it was still pretty busy today.”
Q: I know you have moved around. You and your wife are also from different parts of the United States. You were in California and you’re living in Tennessee now.
Clark: “I’m from Florida. She’s from Minnesota. I played with the Vikings from 2001 until I retired in 2005. My last season was in 2004, but I retired in 2005. We stayed in Minnesota for another two years. In 2007 we moved to Atlanta and shared until 2012. April of 2012 we moved to Los Angeles, and now we’re here.”
Q: Brentwood the rest of your life?
Clark: “Brentwood the rest of our life. We’re staying. This place is magical. It’s amazing.”
Q: Anything you can share with us about Kentucky’s contact since Monday?
Clark: “They just said that they were excited to finally be able to contact him directly without any restrictions, and he’s one of their top guys in 2022. Be looking in the future for the offer coming.”
Q: I was going to ask you what they were saying about an offer. Lots of time they don’t issue official offers. If they are putting in the time that basically means they want you.
Clark: “It’s coming. Obviously Coach Cal has to lay eyes on him in person. After that we know it will happen.”
Q: Since we initially talked have you been in contact with the Kentucky coaches and what kind of a bond have they built with you?
Clark: “Oh my goodness, me and Coach (Joel) Justus, our bond has gotten where we are really close. The same with Coach (Kenny) Payne.”
Q: How do they approach it? Is is a friendship deal? Do you talk about Skyy, or basketball, or life, or all of those things?
Clark: “We talk Skyy, basketball, life. My other kids, how they’re doing, the whole nine. Coach Justus, he’s just an amazing dude. It’s not just all about basketball with him. He wants ro really get to know us.’
Q: The NCAA had a press release today (Tuesday) that they are proposing a recruiting schedule of live events in August and September. How do you feel about that?
Clark: “I haven’t seen that, but that’s amazing. He would definitely look forward to that. He’s like a caged dog. He’s just ready to get out and go at somebody.”
We watched Clark Saturday afternoon at Otter Creek Church in Brentwood against the likes of Darius Garland, Robert Covington, Ian Clark, Jaylen Barford, and several other highly skilled and powerful grown men. Here was our assessment from the scrimmages which are featured in the video below.
"Clark's size is obvious right away. He was playing against grown men and he looked physically like he belonged. I think he's every bit of 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. He's thick in the trunk as well as up in the shoulders in traps. This leads to some obvious questions. Will he grow? His father says the doctor reports that his growth plates haven't closed yet, and he could still grow another three inches. It is natural though to have doubts. He's muscular and strong looking for a sixteen year old. He also has facial and body hair. I've seen teenagers with that look before who matured early and capped out their growth around that age.
Here is why it is important. If he stays the size he is then he is a point guard. He would need to pick up those extra two to three inches to be a two guard. That leads to the next question or questions that were being asked around the gym. Is he a point guard, shooting guard, or a combo?
He has plenty of size to be a college point guard right now. In fact, he would be a strong point guard right now. There were lots of ball-screens set for him in a pickup game environment. He comes off with his head up, and he had a good connection on the roll with Alex Poythress. He uses a good change of speed if the defender isn't up in him, and if he is he leans on his man with his shoulder and hip to run him into the screen. He doesn't have to blow by his man. He is strong enough that if he gets shoulder to shoulder he is going to beat him and get to the rim.
His ball-handling is a strength that led to a number of different type of finishes with both hands. But he likes to get to the left more. Sometimes he would get to his left, get cut off and go right so he could get back to his left.
I liked what he brings defensively. Because of his strong lower body, he can sit down in a stance and move his feet without raising up. He has good heel to toe action without crossing his feet or playing high. He also plays the same way offensively which allows him to explode on his drive.
In a nutshell, every player he played against was either in college or a pro at some level. An EYBL Director who was there to watch him told me he would score 35 points per game on that circuit. Clark has the look of a big timer."
Skyy Clark on Monday, the first day it was allowed. The No. 17 player in the Class of 2022 has been a huge priority for John Calipari and the coaching staff the past few months.
Clark heard from the likes of Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and dozens of others. Skyy's father, Kenny, has been a friend of Cats Illustrated since the winter, and once again filled us in Tuesday night on the hectic week, the relationship with the Kentucky staff, and what could come next from the Big Blue.
Q: We talked Saturday and said it was the calm before the storm. Is it as crazy as you thought?
Clark: “Yeah, it’s been crazier than I thought. We may have talked to forty or fifty schools so far just since yesterday. I can’t even remember them all.”
Q: Did the phone start blowing up at midnight Sunday night?
Clark: “Yes it did. I think Florida State was the midnight. They texted or called. Tennessee State. There has been so many.”
Q: What was the pattern? Did you get a couple of calls at midnight then start back up and six or seven, or was it steady throughout the night?
Clark: “No, it started back up in the morning.”
Q: Has it been as busy today (Tuesday) as it was yesterday?
Clark: “No, it wasn’t as busy as it was Monday, but it was still pretty busy today.”
Q: I know you have moved around. You and your wife are also from different parts of the United States. You were in California and you’re living in Tennessee now.
Clark: “I’m from Florida. She’s from Minnesota. I played with the Vikings from 2001 until I retired in 2005. My last season was in 2004, but I retired in 2005. We stayed in Minnesota for another two years. In 2007 we moved to Atlanta and shared until 2012. April of 2012 we moved to Los Angeles, and now we’re here.”
Q: Brentwood the rest of your life?
Clark: “Brentwood the rest of our life. We’re staying. This place is magical. It’s amazing.”
Q: Anything you can share with us about Kentucky’s contact since Monday?
Clark: “They just said that they were excited to finally be able to contact him directly without any restrictions, and he’s one of their top guys in 2022. Be looking in the future for the offer coming.”
Q: I was going to ask you what they were saying about an offer. Lots of time they don’t issue official offers. If they are putting in the time that basically means they want you.
Clark: “It’s coming. Obviously Coach Cal has to lay eyes on him in person. After that we know it will happen.”
Q: Since we initially talked have you been in contact with the Kentucky coaches and what kind of a bond have they built with you?
Clark: “Oh my goodness, me and Coach (Joel) Justus, our bond has gotten where we are really close. The same with Coach (Kenny) Payne.”
Q: How do they approach it? Is is a friendship deal? Do you talk about Skyy, or basketball, or life, or all of those things?
Clark: “We talk Skyy, basketball, life. My other kids, how they’re doing, the whole nine. Coach Justus, he’s just an amazing dude. It’s not just all about basketball with him. He wants ro really get to know us.’
Q: The NCAA had a press release today (Tuesday) that they are proposing a recruiting schedule of live events in August and September. How do you feel about that?
Clark: “I haven’t seen that, but that’s amazing. He would definitely look forward to that. He’s like a caged dog. He’s just ready to get out and go at somebody.”
We watched Clark Saturday afternoon at Otter Creek Church in Brentwood against the likes of Darius Garland, Robert Covington, Ian Clark, Jaylen Barford, and several other highly skilled and powerful grown men. Here was our assessment from the scrimmages which are featured in the video below.
"Clark's size is obvious right away. He was playing against grown men and he looked physically like he belonged. I think he's every bit of 6-foot-1, 200 pounds. He's thick in the trunk as well as up in the shoulders in traps. This leads to some obvious questions. Will he grow? His father says the doctor reports that his growth plates haven't closed yet, and he could still grow another three inches. It is natural though to have doubts. He's muscular and strong looking for a sixteen year old. He also has facial and body hair. I've seen teenagers with that look before who matured early and capped out their growth around that age.
Here is why it is important. If he stays the size he is then he is a point guard. He would need to pick up those extra two to three inches to be a two guard. That leads to the next question or questions that were being asked around the gym. Is he a point guard, shooting guard, or a combo?
He has plenty of size to be a college point guard right now. In fact, he would be a strong point guard right now. There were lots of ball-screens set for him in a pickup game environment. He comes off with his head up, and he had a good connection on the roll with Alex Poythress. He uses a good change of speed if the defender isn't up in him, and if he is he leans on his man with his shoulder and hip to run him into the screen. He doesn't have to blow by his man. He is strong enough that if he gets shoulder to shoulder he is going to beat him and get to the rim.
His ball-handling is a strength that led to a number of different type of finishes with both hands. But he likes to get to the left more. Sometimes he would get to his left, get cut off and go right so he could get back to his left.
I liked what he brings defensively. Because of his strong lower body, he can sit down in a stance and move his feet without raising up. He has good heel to toe action without crossing his feet or playing high. He also plays the same way offensively which allows him to explode on his drive.
In a nutshell, every player he played against was either in college or a pro at some level. An EYBL Director who was there to watch him told me he would score 35 points per game on that circuit. Clark has the look of a big timer."
