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Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
Xavier transfer Desmond Claude, winner of the Big East’s Most Improved Player award, has committed to USC, he told ESPN.
Claude becomes the Trojans’ ninth transfer addition and 11th newcomer of the offseason, as new coach Eric Musselman moves closer to finalizing his first USC roster. Claude chose the Trojans after taking a visit to their campus last weekend.
“It honestly felt like a perfect fit from the first call,” Claude said. “The academic support, basketball resources and basketball vision all seemed custom-made for me. Also, Coach Musselman has a proven track record over the past several years of helping big lead guards make the jump to being NBA-ready guards.”
A 6-foot-6 guard, Claude was a late bloomer in the 2022 high school class, but his size and ability to score and create for others put him on the radar of high-major programs. He committed to Travis Steele at Xavier, then kept his pledge when Sean Miller took over following the coaching change. Claude showed flashes as a freshman, but his true breakout came this past season as a sophomore.
His scoring average jumped from 4.7 points to 16.6 points, while also grabbing 4.2 rebounds and distributing 3.2 assists per game.
Claude started the campaign with 25 points against Robert Morris and continued to produce, hitting double figures in scoring in all but three games the entire season. He scored 20 or more points on 12 separate occasions, including 36 against Georgetown in early March and 26 against Butler twice. His Xavier career ended with 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in an NIT loss to Georgia.
The Trojans badly needed a playmaker in the backcourt, and Claude should fill that void.
“The vision that Coach Musselman laid out for me blends perfectly with my playmaking ability, NBA aspirations and ongoing development as a lead guard,” he said. “I’m excited to make the next big jump in my development and I’m especially excited to be a part of the USC family.”
Claude joins a deep transfer class heading to USC, highlighted by Chibuzo Agbo (13.7 PPG at Boise State), Terrance Williams II (12.4 PPG at Michigan), Saint Thomas (19.7 PPG at Northern Colorado) and Josh Cohen (15.9 PPG at UMass). The nine-deep group of portal recruits will be joined by ESPN 100 freshmen Jalen Shelley (No. 50) and Isaiah Elohim (No. 55), both of whom had committed to Musselman at Arkansas.