The reigning national champion Florida Gators are no longer pursuing USC transfer Desmond Claude, according to Joe Tipton of On3. This comes as a significant surprise — the Gators appeared to be the leaders to land Claude, who averaged 15.8 points and 4.2 assists last season with the Trojans.
North Carolina has been linked to Claude since the portal opened, and now, with the Gators out of the picture, it once again seems like GM Jim Tanner and head coach Hubert Davis have a legitimate shot at landing one of the best transfers still on the board.
If Claude had picked Florida over North Carolina, it obviously wouldn't have been Tanner or Davis' fault. You can't fault anyone for losing out on a guy if the guy goes to the national champs. But with Florida out of the picture, and North Carolina reportedly competing against Kansas and Virginia for Claude's final year of eligibility... there aren't many excuses left. You have to get him.
Vriginia basketball is going to be in a rough spot for a few years as it tries to navigate the post-Tony Bennett years, and Kansas is at its lowest point in years. It's not a good sign if UNC can't out-recruit those two programs in 2025.
Desmond Claude could reaplace Ian Jackson in Tar Heels backcourt
North Carolina losing guard Ian Jackson to St. John's was a blow to UNC's backcourt, but Claude would provide a lot of the spark the team lost with Jackson heading to New York.
Claude is a multi-level scorer. He loves attacking the hoop, and he thrives in the midrange. His 3-point shooting isn't the strong point of his game, but he can hit a couple if he's hot. He's also a high-level passer, and has good enough vision to create shots for teammates, even if some carelessness leads to turnovers a bit too often.
He's the No. 34-ranked prospect on 24/7's board, and the No. 5 best transfer still on the board. There aren't tons of options left for teams to improve significantly in the portal — if the Heels need to overpay for Claude, so be it. This team needs more talent, and Claude fills a need instantly. Go get him.