Report: USC's leading scorer Claude enters transfer portal
USC junior guard Desmond Claude will enter the transfer portal, sources told Jeff Borzello of ESPN.
Claude averaged 15.8 points and 4.2 assists this past season, leading the Trojans in both categories. He scored 20-plus points in 11 contests, including a 28-point showing in a double-overtime victory over Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament and a season-high 31 in a January regular-season win over Illinois.
Claude's departure would mark USC's second significant transfer development Tuesday following the commitment of former Maryland guard Rodney Rice.
Rice became head coach Eric Musselman's eighth transfer addition this offseason, reportedly joining the Trojans on an NIL deal worth over $3 million, according to the Los Angeles Times' Ryan Kartje.
Claude's next squad will be his third in four seasons. The 6-foot-5 ball-handler represented Xavier as a freshman and a sophomore, winning the Big East's Most Improved Player award in his second campaign.