Skyy Clark hits portal, will visit Louisville this week

Former commitment turned rival? It’s on the table for Illinois transfer Skyy Clark, who officially entered the portal on Monday and has scheduled his first visit, coming Tuesday.

The destination? Louisville, meeting with Kenny Payne and the Cardinals regarding a potential team-up next season. Other programs are interested in the former four-star guard’s services — Arkansas being the top contender — but Clark has UofL at the top of his priority list, sources tell KSR.

It’s the first and only visit scheduled for the Illinois guard transfer as of today. Other visits have not been ruled out, but the process could wrap up quickly with serious mutual interest between Louisville and Clark. Should things go smoothly, the 6-foot-3 guard could leave campus with a commitment — and if not immediately, likely by week’s end.

It’s a chance for Payne to continue rebuilding a roster that was widely considered the most poorly constructed in all of college basketball. Three Cardinals have already announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal, all freshmen in Kamari Lands, Devin Ree and Fabio Basili. Sources tell KSR as many as nine scholarship players could be out in Louisville, a complete and much-needed overhaul this offseason in anticipation of a make-or-break year for the former Kentucky assistant coach.

7-foot-1 center Dennis Evans, a four-star senior prospect with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, announced his commitment to the program on Sunday. He’s considered arguably the top shot-blocking talent in all of high school basketball. Four-star forward Trentyn Flowers is also expected to reclassify to the class of 2023 with Louisville seen as the anticipated choice when he announces his commitment on Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

There’s three, assuming Clark pulls the trigger, as expected. It’s a start, but plenty of work to be done elsewhere for Louisville’s roster to be considered even remotely competitive next season. And keep Payne’s job safe.

Clark signed with Illinois out of high school, averaging 7.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 13 games before leaving the program due to personal matters.

“Skyy has made the decision to take some time away from basketball,” Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said in a statement back in January. “He remains a valued part of our program and will continue to receive our full support. Skyy is a thoughtful, caring young man who right now needs to prioritize himself and his family. This is bigger than basketball. We understand that and stand with him every step of the way.”

Clark was rated as the No. 37 overall prospect and No. 4 point guard in the 2022 On3 Industry Ranking, signing with Illinois over Louisville, Tennessee, USC, Maryland and Washington. He was first committed to Kentucky, announcing his pledge back on October 22, 2020 before parting ways with the program on March 6, 2022. Prior to his commitment to UK, he held previous offers from UCLA, Kansas, Tennessee, USC, Ohio State, Michigan, Auburn, North Carolina, Indiana, Florida State, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and Arizona, among others.

Now, the former commit is now trending toward becoming a future rival of the Wildcats.