Alabama Men’s Basketball Eyes Top Transfer From USC

Alabama head coach Nate Oats hinted at potentially adding one more player to the 11-man roster for Alabama men's basketball on Wednesday, and now, we see who that addition could be.

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According to Joe Tipton of On3 Sports, Alabama is set to host USC transfer guard Desmond Claude this weekend on a visit.

Claude, a 6-foot-6, 201-pound guard originally from New Haven, Connecticut, was a four-star recruit in the 2022 recruiting cycle. He originally committed to Xavier. After starting just one game in his freshman season, he started 34 during his sophomore campaign, posting 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the floor and 23.9 percent from three with the Musketeers.

He transferred to USC ahead of his junior year campaign, joining forces with former Arkansas men's basketball head coach Eric Musselman. In one year under Musselman at USC, he accumulated 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4,2 assists while shooting 76.4 percent from the floor and 30.7 percent from three-point range.

247 Sports Director of Basketball Scouting Jerry Meyer wrote of Claude during his high school recruitment:

"Has tremendous size for a point guard. At 6-5 with broad shoulders will be capable of playing the one through the three. Is a smooth athlete who is comfortable with the basketball. More of a straight ahead athlete than a lateral athlete. Plays too upright on the defensive end. Can score at all three levels. Shoots well off the dribble in the midrange and has an array of finishes. Scores with strength and elusiveness around the basket. His long range shooting is developing but he shoots it well enough to keep the defense honest. Is a confident and efficient ball handler. Sees the floor and plays with a high IQ and a poised pace. Has a quality balance between scoring and distributing. Could assert himself more as a rebounder. Has versatility defensively but is a positional defender and not a pressure defender. Point guard quickness could give him problems."

Claude entered the transfer portal on April 22. He's currently ranked as the fifth-best player available in the transfer portal, according to On3 Sports.

His highest scoring output came on Saturday, January 11, in an 82-72 victory over the Illinois Fighting Illini. Claude scored 31 points, shooting 60 percent from the floor and 7-7 from the free-throw line.

He scored double-digit points 24 times last season for USC.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.