After leaving the Illinois Fighting Illini last January, freshman guard Skyy Clark has made the decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal, according to a report by Joe Tipton of On3. That means Illinois basketball is on the verge of losing a marquee 2022 recruit without even having his services for a full season.

Skyy Clark appeared in only 13 games (12 starts) for Illinois basketball in the 2022-23 campaign and during his time in Champaign, he averaged just 7.0 points on 41.1 percent shooting from the floor, 2.1 assists, and 3.7 rebounds, while seeing 24.5 minutes per game.

Clark stepped away from the team after he was removed from the starting lineup back in January, though, he said that his move was not because of anything related to basketball.

“I want to start by saying that I love the University of Illinois, my coaching staff, my teammates and the broader (Illinois) community,” Clark shared via social media last January (h/t 247 Sports). “I made friendships in these few short months that I will keep with me for the rest of my life. This decision has nothing to do with basketball, but it does have everything to do with prioritizing myself and my family's wellbeing.”

Illinois basketball managed to land Clark amid competition in the recruitment front against the likes of the Kentucky Wildcats, UCLA Bruins, Kansas Jayhawks, and the Tennessee Volunteers, who all made an offer to the guard out of Montverde Academy in Los Angeles.

Despite Clark's departure, Illinois basketball clinched a spot in the 2023 NCAA tournament as a No. 9 seed and is scheduled to play the Arkansas Razorbacks in the first round on Thursday.