Syracuse basketball enthusiasts, myself among them, are eagerly awaiting news on Kiyan Anthony’s college decision. Standing at 6-foot-5, Anthony is a highly sought-after four-star shooting guard from New York City, ranked among the top-30 prospects nationally. His lineage adds to the intrigue, being the son of Orange legend Carmelo Anthony, who famously led Syracuse to its sole national championship in 2003.
While some die-hard Syracuse fans firmly believe Anthony will follow in his father’s footsteps and wear the Orange jersey, I remain cautious about assuming his commitment. However, I do acknowledge Syracuse as a strong contender in the recruiting race.
Recent chatter among analysts on various recruiting platforms has put Syracuse basketball in the spotlight regarding Anthony’s potential recruitment. The Orange coaching staff has demonstrated their keen interest in him, attending at least two of Anthony’s AAU games last month during an NCAA live period.
Anthony, who has received around 20 offers throughout his recruitment, was offered a scholarship by the ‘Cuse in November of 2022. In late October of last year, he went on an official visit to the Hill. He’s also officially visited Florida State, and several recent media reports indicate that he’s eyeing some additional campus visits in the coming months, including a possible return trip to the Orange.
A top expert weighs in on Syracuse basketball and 2025 four-star SG Kiyan Anthony.
Not too long ago, On3 national reporter Joe Tipton, who is extremely plugged in as it pertains to high school hoops and recruiting, joined Brian Higgins for an interview on Cuse Sports Talk. They discussed numerous topics, including Anthony.
Tipton, in his conversation with Higgins, reaffirmed what he previously mentioned on his X page on June 3: that Anthony is considering scheduling official visits to Auburn, Ohio State, and Indiana in September. While Indiana has been actively pursuing Anthony for some time, Auburn and Ohio State are relatively recent additions to his list of potential destinations in the recruiting process.
Despite interest from other programs, Tipton remains steadfast in his belief that Syracuse basketball currently holds the lead in Anthony’s recruitment. Throughout this spring, Anthony has showcased his talents as a standout player for Team Melo’s 17U squad in Nike’s EYBL league, based in Baltimore. During last month’s EYBL session in Indianapolis, which marked the spring’s initial live evaluation period, college coaches had the opportunity to observe potential recruits in action.
As previously mentioned, reports indicate that Orange head coach Adrian Autry attended at least two of Team Melo’s games in Indianapolis. On the first night of this session, where coaches could watch high school prospects live at AAU events for the first time this spring, Tipton noted that Autry was the sole head coach present for Anthony. While other head coaches and assistants monitored Anthony’s performance throughout the session, Tipton emphasizes the significance of Autry’s prominent presence on that initial evening.
Tipton notes that it would be great for Syracuse basketball fans and the ‘Cuse program to have Anthony play on the Hill, more than two decades after his dad brought an NCAA title to Central New York. To that end, Tipton says he thinks it would be “incredibly disappointing” for SU fans and the Orange coaching staff if Anthony heads elsewhere.
Tipton echoed the sentiment of numerous other national analysts and scouts, who have praised Anthony for his improving and expanding all-around game. Anthony has shown experts, on the AAU circuit this spring, that he can of course score with prowess and hit shots from deep.
2025 Top-30 recruit Kiyan Anthony, the son of 10x NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, tells @On3Recruits he's eyeing visits to Auburn, Ohio State, and Indiana. https://t.co/Jcr2XxNooU pic.twitter.com/inqpTcb0pa
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 3, 2024
But he’s also playing with increased confidence, getting stronger, and displaying an ability to create scoring opportunities for himself off the dribble.
To that end, Tipton believes that Anthony, a rising senior at the powerhouse Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., is a prospect who the ‘Cuse needs to prevail for, as landing Anthony would prove a “huge statement play” for Autry early on in his head-coaching tenure at Syracuse basketball.
I totally agree with Joe on that last point. By the way, in his chat with Higgins, Tipton also shared some thoughts on several other 2025 prospects, including new Orange five-star commit Sadiq White Jr. as well as four-star priority targets Tyler Jackson and London Jemison. I’d highly recommend listening to Tipton’s interview with Higgins in full.
