When Illinois takes the floor on Saturday afternoon, it will be without Skyy Clark. The freshman guard announced on Twitter on Friday that he was leaving the team.

"For personal reasons, I need to step away from basketball for the time being - putting myself and my family first," Clark said.

Clark provided no details on the decision to leave Illinois. His departure comes as Illinois tries to get back on track after starting 0-3 in the Big Ten.

Illinois released a statement from head basketball coach Brad Underwood, who said Clark has the full support of the team in his decision to step away from the game. It wasn't clear if Clark is still enrolled at Illinois for the spring semester.

“Skyy has made the decision to take some time away from basketball," Underwood said in his statement. "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.”

Rumors of Clark's exit began to circulate on Friday afternoon on social media. Underwood made no mention of Clark during a previously scheduled press conference to preview the Wisconsin matchup.

During his short stay at Illinois, Clark averaged 7.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He started in 12 of his 13 games at Illinois. Arguably, his best overall performance cam in an upset of UCLA when he had 10 points and clutch free throws to help seal the victory.

The Illini are now down to two scholarship point guards in Jayden Epps and Sencire Harris, who has started the last two games. Clark said his decision to leave was personal.

"This decision has nothing to do with basketball, but it does have everything to do with prioritizing myself and my family's well-being."

Clark was highly-touted as a recruit and was committed to Kentucky at one time. Rivals.com ranked him the No. 38 prospect in the class of 2022. He saw limited action at Montverde Academy in Florida as a senior while recovering from a knee injury.

Illinois also once held a commitment from Clark's younger brother ZZ Clark, a Rivals150 point guard in the class of 2024. He decommitted from Illinois back in October and is playing for Overtime Elite.