USC guard Desmond Claude, a 6-foot-6 junior, began his college career at Xavier before transferring to the Trojans.
In the 2024-25 season, Claude led USC in scoring, averaging 15.8 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game on 48.2% shooting. Despite his breakout performance, he’s now back in the transfer portal, exploring a third school in four years.
A former four-star prospect out of Putnam Science Academy (CT), Claude was ranked No. 86 nationally in the 247Sports composite and among the top three players in Connecticut in his class.
Now one of the top available guards, Claude is drawing interest from several high-major programs, including Gonzaga, Duke, Virginia, Ole Miss, and Kentucky. According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Duke reached out over the weekend—viewing Claude as a potential veteran backcourt partner on a roster built to contend deep into March.
The Blue Devils are coming off a dominant 35-4 season under third-year head coach Jon Scheyer, having swept the ACC regular-season (19-1) and tournament titles. They earned a No. 1 seed and advanced to the Final Four, narrowly falling to Houston 70-67.
Claude could help fill the void left by NBA-bound stars Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Sion James. After finishing among the nation’s top 150 in scoring in 2023-24 and top 125 in assists last season, Claude has emerged as one of the most coveted names in the portal.
Over the next few weeks, he’ll consider roster fit, playing time, and system compatibility as he makes his decision. In an era where the transfer portal mirrors free agency, landing a player like Claude could be the difference in a championship run.
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