A 6-foot-8 former pro forward is hearing from Louisville and other schools around the country, according to a report from On3/Rivals’ Joe Tipton. Kok Yat, a three-star high school prospect in the 2021 class, ended up playing professionally for multiple seasons after bypassing college. Thanks to the ever-changing NCAA landscape, the Anchorage, Alaska native is once again considering the possibility of playing at the collegiate level.
At Least 5 Schools Attempting To Recruit Kok Yat
Louisville, Providence, San Francisco, West Virginia and Xavier are among the schools that have reached out to Yat. However, before Yat can play at the collegiate level, he must be declared eligible by the NCAA. This issue of the NCAA granting eligibility to professional players has been thrust into the limelight of late, as multiple players with pro experience have committed to college teams.
For example, former G League guard Thierry Darlan signed on with Santa Clara in late September. London Johnson, who played in the NBA’s G League for three years, committed to Louisville in early October. Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo recently blasted the NCAA (and other stakeholders) for allowing this to occur.
Analysts expect that more and more pro players –whether they have been playing abroad, in the G League or for the Atlanta-based professional league Overtime Elite –will try to head to college, if they are deemed eligible. Given that college athletes can now earn endorsement income through direct revenue-sharing by their schools, and also via third-party NIL deals, the line has been blurred between professional and amateur athletes.
Who Is Kok Yat?
Yat, who played at Norcross High School in Norcross, Ga., was a three-star high school prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle. After graduating, he initially had a verbal commitment to DePaul. However, he changed his mind, deciding to play for the Overtime Elite. In the 2021-22 season, Yay only appeared in nine games due to an injury. The next season, he didn’t play at all.
He then declared for the 2023 NBA Draft but didn’t get selected. Since then, he’s played for the NBA G League’s Iowa Wolves and the Texas Legends.
In the G League, Yat’s averaged 3.4 points and 1.1 rebounds per game, connecting on 38.4% of his shot attempts. However, he was able to shoot 35.1% from beyond the arc. Furthermore, his health issues appear to be behind him. Across those two seasons, he was available for 65 regular season games.
Former Pro Guard TJ Clark Drawing Heavy Interest
TJ Clark, another pro, is also drawing heavy interest from college programs. Tennessee, Ohio State, Auburn, Clemson, Colorado, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Texas A&M are among the noteworthy teams recruiting the 6-foot-4 guard. Like Yat, he’s waiting on the NCAA to determine whether he will be eligible to play in college.
His similarities to Yat don’t stop there. He was also a three-star high school prospect, albeit in 2022. He played at Newton High School in Covington, Ga., less than an hour away from Norcross. Clark also went on to compete in Overtime Elite and then the G League. However, he most recently played for Rayos de Hermosillo, a Mexican professional team. That’s something that Yat has not done, as he’s played domestically throughout his basketball journey.
More teams may enter the mix for Yat, specifically Xavier and West Virginia, Tipton reveals. Regarding Clark, the national college basketball analyst says that Georgia has some momentum. USC is also a program to watch.
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