How Skyy Clark Became the Bruins’ Best Weapon

In Clark’s most recent game, he truly showed out. He scored 25 points on an efficient 7-for-9 shooting performance and knocked down six of his seven attempts from beyond the arc. When he gets hot, there might not be a better player in the entire conference.

Two games prior against Presbyterian, he scored 22 points, while shooting 9-11, and 50% from three. While Presbyterian isn't a gold standard of a team by any mark, they have a lot of talented players, wise.

If Clark can replicate these performances against Oregon and later Gonzaga, the Bruins will be in good shape. Donovan Dent, UCLA’s other starting guard, has shown how volatile his play can be, which means Clark will need to elevate his game even more on nights when Dent isn’t at his best.

Slow Start

If you haven't noticed, both of these 20-point games came in the last three games for Clark. His start was not as pretty. Before Presbyterian, he had not scored more than 15 points. And his shooting numbers across the board have been down.

In UCLA's biggest game this season, Clark was a non-factor, and that's being generous. He went 3-11 and scored just nine points. The same can be said in his game against Cal, where Clark would shoot 2-8 on a measly seven points.

The biggest critique of Clark this season has been his reluctance to take high-percentage shots. He knows he’s a good shooter — that part is undeniable — but that confidence can also become his Achilles’ heel. When the game tightens up, he sometimes forces himself into tough, low-quality looks rather than trusting the offense to create something cleaner.

However, Clark has also been one of the most clutch Bruins this season. His late-game heroics were critical against Washington, where he repeatedly came through with timely shots that either tied the game or put UCLA back in front. His ability to deliver under pressure has quickly become one of the Bruins’ greatest assets.

It appears that Clark has become more comfortable as the season has progressed. While most players usually do, Clark has really stepped up compared to some of the other Bruins' playmakers.