Skyy Clark’s Growth Raises Key Question

After an incredible game against Cal Poly has Skyy Clark become a certified star?

Dec 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) is defended by Cal Poly Mustangs forward Troy Plumtree (13) and guard Cayden Ward (14) as he drives to the basket during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After a 30-point game against Cal Poly, Skyy Clark has positioned himself as one of the Bruins' premier players.

This begs the question: has Skyy Clark taken the next step as a player? There are arguments on both sides; his ceiling is about as high as any player in the league at the moment; however, his tendency to disappear has really hindered any talks that he has. Let's take a look at both sides.

Why Skyy Clark Has Taken the Next Step

Dec 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) is defended by Cal Poly Mustangs guard Peter Bandelj (9) as he goes for a basket during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Skyy Clark's biggest driver in this conversation has been his elite scoring and shooting ability. In the last five games, he has really shown himself to be one of the Bruins' most impactful players. In Clark's last five games, he is averaging 18.8 points, while shooting 51.7% from the field and a very good 57.5% from three.

During this stretch, the Bruins are 4–1, with their lone loss coming against then–No. 7 Gonzaga. There’s little doubt Skyy Clark has played a major role in UCLA’s recent success. Mick Cronin firmly believes good things happen when Clark is aggressive as a shooter, saying:

"We gotta find a way to continue to make sure we're getting shots more, to be honest with you. I mean, right now he's [Skyy Clark] shooting over 50% with a lot of attempts. I mean, that's gotta be top 5, 10 in the country. It's gotta be," says Cronin.

Dec 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) is defended by Cal Poly Mustangs guard Peter Bandelj (9) as he shoots a 3-point basket during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

His ability to shoot well with high volume makes him an irreplaceable piece for the Bruins. Scoring needs to come from somewhere, outside of Tyler Bilodeau; to his credit, he has been just as good as Clark at scoring. Bilodeau has always been that constant; however, when Clark gets hot, the Bruins win.

Inconsistency Issues

Dec 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) dribbles the ball while guarded by Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Adam Miller (23) during the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Bruins are 3-0 when Clark scores more than 20 points; on the other side, the Bruins are 2-3 when he scores less than 10. The only two wins when he scored less than 10 came against Sacramento State and Western Georgia, who are not the gold standard by any measure in college basketball.

The Bruins rely on Clark to be an effective scorer, and as of late, he has. If he can keep this up, the Bruins become almost unbeatable; however, it is just a matter of when Clark gets hot. This "unbeatable" title only comes in when Clark is consistent throughout the game.

Dec 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) is defended by Oregon Ducks guard Takai Simpkins (5) during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

To truly take the next step, Clark needs to prove that he can perform against good teams. His nine points against now No. 1 Arizona were ultimately the decider in that one. The same goes for his poor performance in the loss against Cal, where he only scored seven points.

Without this lingering volatility, the Bruins could already be a top-15 team in the rankings. However, the trajectory they’re currently on suggests UCLA could climb rapidly if they take care of business and continue to get high-impact performances from Skyy Clark.

The Verdict

Mar 20, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) celebrates after a three pointer during the first half against the Utah State Aggies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

For now, it still seems like Clark has a lot more to prove before we can comfortably say that he has taken that next step in his game. While his shooting suggests otherwise, it is simply a product of high-volume shooting on nights when he can't seem to miss, which can be very inconsistent.

However, he is on the right path. After the Bruins' matchup against UC Riverside, the Bruins will face six conference opponents consecutively, which will prove to be an ample sample size for Clark to prove that he is among the league's best.

Nov 18, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Sacramento State Hornets guard Prophet Johnson (16), UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55), forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) and guard Jamar Brown (4) scramble for a loose ball during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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