USC guard Desmond Claude, a 6-foot-6 junior, started his collegiate career at Xavier before transferring to USC. During the 2024-25 season with the Trojans, he averaged 15.8 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 48.2%. Despite becoming USC’s top scorer, Claude chose to enter the transfer portal, marking his third program in four years.
In high school, Claude was a standout at Putnam Science Academy (CT), earning a four-star rating and ranking No. 86 nationally on 247Sports, along with being one of Connecticut’s top three players.
Now in the transfer portal, Claude has attracted interest from programs such as Gonzaga, Duke, Virginia, Ole Miss, and Kentucky. Duke, in particular, reached out over the weekend, as Claude looks for a reliable backcourt partner and a team with strong NCAA tournament potential, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.
Duke, under third-year coach Jon Scheyer, finished a successful 35-4 season, capturing both the ACC regular-season (19-1) and tournament titles, securing a #1 seed, and advancing to the Final Four before falling to Houston 70-67.
Adding Claude would strengthen Duke’s guard rotation, helping to offset the departures of key players—Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Sion James—who are entering the 2025 NBA Draft.
Claude, who ranked among the top 150 in scoring and top 125 in assists nationally during the 2023-24 season, will carefully consider his options in the coming weeks, evaluating roster fit, immediate playing time, and each program’s playing style.
As college basketball enters a new era of “free agency,” moves like Claude’s could significantly impact which teams contend for the national title in March.
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