Danny Sprinkle and the Washington Huskies have finished off their offseason with a big splash.
On Sunday morning, former USC star Desmond Claude announced on Instagram that he has committed to Sprinkle’s coaching staff for his final season of eligibility. As the Huskies scoured the country for a seasoned, high-impact wing to round out the rotation, the 6-foot-6 senior, who was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention for the 2024-25 season, is the perfect fit.
Although he shot just 30.7 percent from long range last season, which has been one of Sprinkle’s biggest points of emphasis throughout the offseason, Claude led the Trojans with an average of 15.8 points and 4.2 assists per game, adding 3.5 rebounds per contest while bringing several much-needed aspects to the roster.
Claude is an adept slasher and high-end defender who is an instant impact contributor at both ends of the floor, and will likely slot in as a starter alongside three other transfers: East Tennessee State guard Quimari Peterson, his former Trojan teammate Wesley Yates, and Lipscomb forward Jacob Ognacevic.
With his commitment, Sprinkle and the Huskies have completed a raid of one of their now Big Ten and former Pac-12 rivals, adding USC’s two top scorers in Claude and Yates, along with one of their assistant coaches in former UW star and staff member Quincy Pondexter.
The pledge also completes Sprinkle’s complete roster overhaul through the transfer portal, as the No. 31-ranked player in the transfer portal by 247Sports becomes the seventh player to join the Huskies through the transfer portal, eight when including junior college signee Mady Traore.
After finishing last in the Big Ten in Sprinkle’s first season on Montlake, making the program’s first NCAA Tournament since 2019 seems like the bare minimum expectation for the roster ahead of the season.