Danny Sprinkle’s rebuilding of the UW Huskies’ men’s basketball lineup continues Sunday with a significant addition.
USC point guard Desmond Claude confirmed on social media that he is transferring to UW. He choose the Huskies over Gonzaga and Alabama.
What happens to college athletics after the historic settlement? A closer look.
“I am a firm believer with the recruiting class coming in and the returning players, we can compete with the very best, which was very important to me,” Claude stated on his Twitter account. “I’m delighted to start working with my new teammates and staff at Seattle Husky. “Go, Dawgs!”
Claude, who stands 6-foot-6, is a four-star recruit ranked as the No. 9 transfer point guard and No. 31 overall transfer by 247Sports.
In 33 games as a junior, Claude led USC in scoring with 15.2 points per game while shooting 48.2% from the field, 30.7% from three, and 76.4% from the free throw line. He averaged 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Claude, a native of New Haven, Connecticut, played his first two college seasons at Xavier in the Big East before transferring to USC for the 2024-25 season. He was selected a Big East All-Freshman in 2022-23 and the conference’s Most Improved Player in 2023-24, averaging 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 steals.
Claude and Trojans teammate Wesley Yates III are among the seven transfers slated to join UW for the 2025-26 season. The roster also includes Florida State forward Christian Nitu, Indiana big Bryson Tucker, Lipscomb forward Jacob Ognacevic, East Tennessee State point guard Quimari Peterson, and Rutgers center Lathan Sommerville.
The Huskies’ 2025 class presently has 12 recruits in total and is ranked 30th in the USA by 247Sports.
UW finished 17-18 in Sprinkle’s first year as head coach, missing the Big Ten Tournament with a conference record of 7-13.
Only two players from last year’s squad will return: Zoom Diallo and Franck Kepnang.
