Kentucky has contacted one of the top remaining guards in the transfer portal

The Kentucky staff may not be done adding players to their roster.

USC Trojans guard Desmond Claude (1) reacts after being called for a foul Thursday, March 13, 2025, during the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Purdue Boilermakers won 76-71. | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kentucky has their eyes on a new transfer portal target. According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Mark Pope and the Kentucky staff have expressed interest in USC transfer guard Desmond Claude. Only a handful of schools have reached out to the 6-6 guard, including programs such as Duke, Gonzaga, Virginia and Ole Miss along with the Wildcats.

With 13 spots filled on the roster, Kentucky has room for two more, and Claude could be one. According to Borzello, Claude is looking for a "proven backcourt mate to share playmaking and a team built for a deep run." It's unclear how far Kentucky's interest will go given how solidified Kentucky's backcourt is looking, but those words do fit with Kentucky's roster. The Wildcats have incoming guards Jaland Lowe, Jasper Johnson, Denzel Aberdeen and Collin Chandler, as well as awaiting a final decision from Otega Oweh on if he will return or not. The expectation, as of now, is that Oweh will return to Kentucky next season. Oweh still has to get feedback from the NBA Draft Combine, which begins on May 11 and runs through May 18.

Last season with the Trojans, Claude averaged 15.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds, shooting 48.2 percent overall and 30.7 percent from three, playing 32.5 minutes per game, a huge bulk of the minutes in USC's backcourt. Claude had 11 20-point games last season, scoring in double-figures nearly every game out on the court. His best game included a 31-point performance against Illinois, shooting 12-20 from the floor and a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line.

Claude spent last season at USC after transferring from Xavier following his sophomore campaign. The 6-6 guard had a high usage rate last season and seems to be looking to pair his skills with a great backcourt player and insert the possibility of a deep NCAA Tournament run, wherever that may be.