Will Wade’s return to LSU came with a clear blueprint: bring in players who can stretch the floor and protect the ball. Skyy Clark checks both boxes.
That matters because Wade’s one year at NC State offered a pretty clean lesson in what works. The Wolfpack’s NCAA Tournament run ended in the First Four, but they still ranked eighth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at 38.8% and 12th in fewest turnovers per game at 9.2. Clark, a fifth-year UCLA transfer, gives LSU a guard built to fit right into that formula.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound combo guard put together a sharp season last year, averaging 11.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 turnover in 26 games. He shot 46.9% from the field, 42.8% from 3-point range on 4.8 attempts per game and 82.1% at the free-throw line.
Clark is currently eligible for next season. He’s among a group of more than 70 players granted a temporary restraining order in an age-based eligibility lawsuit filed in California against the NCAA. The ruling allows Clark to play a fifth season in 2026-27 and is unaffected by the NCAA’s request to stay the class-wide preliminary injunction in Colorado.
A shooting profile built for modern offense
Clark entered college as one of the top point guards in the 2022 class, coming in at No. 6 at the position in the 247Sports Composite. By last season, he had shifted into more of a secondary creator and perimeter weapon.
At UCLA, Donovan Dent ran the offense - and Dent committed to LSU on Friday - while Clark became the Bruins’ top threat on the outside. More than half of his shots came from 3, and he was expected to let it fly quickly.
Mick Cronin’s offense used off-ball screens to spring Clark free, and Clark leaned into the role. He took tough looks, NBA-range shots and showed he could do more than just catch and fire. He can pump fake, take one or two dribbles and still get to a clean 3.
There’s some playmaking there too. Clark doesn’t pile up turnovers, and he can make the simple read when the defense shifts. He knows when to attack to open up drive-and-kick chances and when to move the ball along to a better shot.
He was one of 15 players last season to shoot at least 40% from 3, attempt 10 or more 3s per 100 possessions, post a turnover percentage under 12% and record a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
The one area where he didn’t live on the perimeter was the rim, but he was efficient when he got there, making 32 of 45 attempts for 71%.
Defense that travels
Cronin also trusted Clark with some difficult defensive assignments. Last season, he spent time on Purdue’s Braden Smith, a second-team All-American, and Nebraska wing Pryce Sandfort, an All-Big Ten first-team selection.
Clark doesn’t have ideal length, but he makes up for it with strength and focus. His build helps him absorb contact from bigger guards and wings, and he competes through screens with steady effort.
He’s not a lightning-quick defender, though, and the craftier ballhandlers can give him trouble. Taller shooters can also shoot over him.
Even so, Wade should appreciate the way Clark sees the floor on defense. He’s active in the gaps, rotates to the paint after breakdowns and gets back out to shooters. He talks, he anticipates and he stays involved.
That awareness helps him create turnovers. By staying in the right spots and reading the offense, he can jump passing lanes and make things happen.
Only five players nationwide last season posted a steal rate of at least 2.5%, shot 40% from 3 and had a turnover percentage under 12%. Clark was on that list with Arkansas’ Meleek Thomas and Santa Clara’s Allen Graves, both NBA draft picks.
There are limitations. He isn’t a high-end off-ball stopper because he doesn’t have the tools to switch onto bigger players and rack up more steals.
He can also get a little too aggressive and leave himself open to backdoor cuts. And on the glass, rebounding remains a weak spot.
Still, the fit in Baton Rouge is easy to see. Wade can use Clark the same way UCLA did - as a shooter moving without the ball and punishing defenses from deep. With Dent now at LSU, the two could be back together in the starting backcourt in purple and gold.
Clark looks most comfortable as a third or fourth scoring option, which lines up with what LSU wants as it works to get former St. John’s wing RJ Luis eligible with a preliminary injunction. If Luis is unavailable, Clark has enough offensive game to take on more.
The shot, the low turnover rate and the defensive feel give LSU a guard who can help just about any lineup.
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LSU Is Chasing Another Unusual Lane Kiffin Roster Addition
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The twist is that both players are part of a legal case that has given them a fifth year of college eligibility, creating a path back to the college game even after they moved on to the NFL. Kiffin has defended the pursuit, pointing to the court rulings that make them eligible to play, but the situation still adds another layer to LSUs roster-building as the Tigers track whether the move can actually come together. [Read more 🡒]