"Didn't want him anyway": College hoops fans react as Florida Gators no longer pursue Desmond Claude from USC

Florida men's basketball has lost interest in signing USC transfer guard Desmond Claude, according to On3's Joe Tipton. Claude entered the transfer portal for the second time at the end of last season.

There, he averaged 15.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds, shooting 48.2 percent overall and 30.7 percent from three in 32.5 minutes of action per game.

The 6-foot-6 guard attracted interest from some programs, including Florida. However, the Gators have backed out of pursuing the former Trojan junior, which Tipton announced on X.

"Florida is no longer in pursuit of USC transfer guard Desmond Claude, sources tells @On3sports," he wrote on Monday.

The news generated some reactions from college hoop fans, with some indicating they were not particularly enthusiastic about the Gators adding Claude to the roster ahead of next season.

"Didn’t want him anyways. Can’t shoot," a fan wrote.

"Mid shooter that can’t play defense ? Yeah I’ll pass," another fan wrote.

"They must’ve realized he’s not actually good," a fan commented.

Other fans insinuated that Claude transfered to Florida failed due to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) issues.

"They didn’t pay enough I’m sure this means," a fan commented.

"Prolly wants too much money they need to fix this nil crap," another fan commented.

"Asking for crazy NIL," a fan wrote.

Claude's failure to join Florida may have nothing to do with his abilities on the court. The Gators already have four incoming recruits, including transfers and they are all guards. They include freshman stars CJ Ingram and Alex Lloyd, who will be joined by Princeton and Ohio transfers Xaivian Lee and AJ Brown, respectively.

Kentucky, Duke and 3 others contact Desmond Claude

USC transfer Desmond Claude's deal with Florida may have fallen apart, but he has not run out of options yet. The guard attracted interest from other schools who are looking to boost their roster ahead of next season.

According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Kentucky, Duke, Gonzaga, Virginia and Ole Miss contacted Claude over the weekend for his commitment.

"USC transfer Desmond Claude is hearing from Gonzaga, Duke, Virginia, Ole Miss & Kentucky, sources told ESPN, with Duke reaching out over the weekend. In his next school, sources said, Claude is looking for a proven backcourt mate to share playmaking & a team built for a deep run," Borzello wrote on X Monday.

Claude joined USC last season after his explosive sophomore year at Xavier. He started 34 games and averaged 16.6 points per game with the Musketeers. At USC, Claude recorded 11 20-point games, his best being a 31-point performance against Illinois.