Xavier guard Desmond Claude commits to transfer to USC

Xavier Musketeers combo guard Desmond Claude has committed to transfer to the USC Trojans, according to Jeff Borzello.

Desmond Claude played high school football at Putnam Science Academy (CT), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 83 overall recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

In two seasons with Xavier, Desmond Claude played in 69 games and started 35 of them. That included 34 starts as a sophomore in the 2023-24 season. In that sophomore campaign, the 6-foot-6 sophomore from New Haven, Connecticut averaged 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He also shot 42.6 percent from the field and 23.9 percent from three-point range. On defense, he had 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks per game.

This past season, Xavier went 16-18 overall and 9-11 in Big East play. The Musketeers went on to lose in the first round of the NIT.

The USC Trojans, meanwhile, are coming off a 15-18 season overall and an 8-12 season in Pac-12 play. It was the 11th season for Andy Enfield as the head coach at USC and, following the year, he left to take over as the head coach at SMU.

In his place, the Trojans brought in Eric Musselman, who was previously the head coach at Arkansas, Nevada, and the Sacramento Kings.

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

The USC Trojans and the Transfer Portal

The Transfer Portal for college basketball opened on Selection Sunday for all men’s college basketball teams and was open for 45 days from that point. Even once the portal is closed, players are still able to commit to new teams from the portal.

It’s been a very busy cycle for USC in the portal. That is, perhaps, unsurprising given that there was a coaching change from Andy Enfield to Eric Musselman.

The USC Trojans currently have the 23rd-ranked transfer class in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 College Basketball Team Transfer Portal Rankings. That class includes seven players who have left the program through the portal and another nine who are entering the program through the Transfer Portal.

Among those players entering the program, Desmond Claude is the second coming in from a power conference. The rest are coming in from mid-major programs. That includes players like Josh Cohen, who initially transferred to Arkansas to play for Eric Musselman there before following him to USC.