Report: Kentucky 'isn't expected' to be involved with USC's Desmond Claude

Kentucky was on a list of possible programs who could be recruiting USC’s Desmond Claude following the latest news regarding him in the NCAA Transfer Portal. However, a pair of insiders have since refuted that.

On3’s Joe Tipton tweeted the latest regarding Claude, per sources, and any possible involvement with him by Kentucky on Monday evening. He posted that UK “isn’t expected” to be recruiting Claude in response to similar notes by KSR’s Jacob Polacheck tonight.

“Kentucky isn’t expected to be involved in the recruitment of USC transfer Desmond Claude, sources tell @On3sports,” Tipton posted. “As Polacheck writes here, I don’t expect anything materialize between Claude and UK.”

Several reports came out on Monday regarding Claude’s recruitment in the portal. Florida was projecting as a favorite coming off his visit to Gainesville to end last week. However, Florida as well as North Carolina are both apparently out of his recruitment or at least aren’t as involved as they previously were. With that, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello released a list of teams that Claude has heard from since including Kentucky as well as Gonzaga, Duke, Virginia, and Ole Miss.

Claude is one of the top available players remaining in the NCAA Transfer Portal after entering on the final day of the cycle. He, per the latest update to On3’s Industry Ranking of 2025’s Top Transfer Portal Players, rates at No. 24 overall as the No. 8 PG, which makes him the sixth-best player and second-best point guard still uncommitted to this point.

That’s coming off his lone season spent at USC after starting his career at Xavier. Claude has averaged 12.3 points (44.6% FG, 27.1% 3PT), 3.4 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 102 games, 67 of those being starts, for the Musketeers and Trojans. He most recently posted a career-best season with 15.8 points (48.2% FG, 30.7% 3PT), 4.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists as a starter this year at ‘SC.

However, Kentucky, while possibly wanting to add a player of this caliber, may not have the roster to justify it. The Wildcats currently have only one scholarship spot left, per reports, for next season’s roster with four returning from last season and nine coming to Lexington. That’s with the backcourt full of options with Otega Oweh, who could possibly back after testing for the NBA Draft, and Collin Chandler returning, Jasper Johnson as a four-star incoming freshman, and then Jaland Lowe (Pittsburgh) and Denzel Aberdeen (Florida) both committing as Top-100 transfers.

That was already enough guards to lead to the decommitment of Acaden Lewis (Villanova) and the transfer of Travis Perry (Ole Miss). That’s why a commitment by another top transfer at guard like Claude would seem unlikely for the Wildcats at this point in the portal. Mark Pope suggested as much last week too in saying UK was more so looking for “a redshirt guy” or “a last year of your career guy” for that final scholarship.

Claude still has several top programs to consider for his third school in three years. Kentucky just isn’t trending to be among them per the latest from Tipton as well as Polacheck.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.