Syracuse lands Kiyan Anthony, son of legend Carmelo Anthony

Kiyan Anthony, Carmelo Anthony’s son and a top-40 recruit in the class of 2025, announced Friday that he is following in his father’s footsteps and committing to Syracuse.

Anthony made the announcement on his father’s “7PM in Brooklyn” show.

The Orange was chosen from a final list that also included USC and Auburn. Syracuse had long been the favorite, but Anthony underwent a legitimate recruitment drive, taking official visits to Florida State as a junior and USC two months ago.

“At the end of the day, it came down to my relationship with the staff,” Anthony told ESPN. “From day one, when they started recruiting me, they made me feel like it was family. My dad’s name on the facility is special, but I want to go in there and make my own name, and I’ve already done that through my dedication in the offseason with early morning practices, playing in camps, playing on the field.”

While his father’s connection to the school was a big factor in his recruitment, Anthony also developed his own strong relationship with coach Adrian Autry.

“I’m going to do whatever Coach Autry needs me to do,” Anthony said. “We talk a lot, especially late at night, about how we can make Syracuse basketball great. Off the court, Coach is super cool. You could go out with him on a Friday night. He’s still young and connects with all his players ; he is very relatable.”

Carmelo Anthony was a 10-time NBA All-Star, scored more than 28,000 career points and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. During his one season at Syracuse in 2003, he led the Orange to the national championship as a freshman. , earning All-American and NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors.

For better or for worse, Kiyan was compared to his father from a young age.

“The struggle was real, especially in middle school and my freshman year of high school,” he said. “I didn’t know what I was doing then, but I started listening to my dad. I trusted his words, established a routine and started changing into my own player. The biggest difference between me and my dad is that he was a straight-up bucket, a straight-up bully He could score on you at will and I can create for others.

A 6-foot-5 shooting guard ranked No. 36 in the ESPN 100 out of Long Island Lutheran, Anthony is one of the best pure scorers in the country. He averaged 19.6 points on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring and scored 25 or more points in four of 15 games. He was even more productive at the Nike Peach Jam over the summer, averaging 21.8 points and shooting 37.3% from 3-point range in eight games — including a 40-point outing against the Mac Irvin Fire when he shot 15-for-19 from the field and 5-for-6 from 3.

“I have to improve my efficiency, not take too many dribbles to get somewhere and be a better defender off the ball,” he said. “I feel like I’m getting better as a defender because I’m working out against some of the best players in the country, like Kayden Mingo, Dylan Mingo and Nigel James. We play a national program. I’m ready for the challenge of covering the other team’s perimeter players.”

“Kiyan has been a joy to coach,” Long Island Lutheran coach John Buck said. “He is hard working, eager to learn and has developed into a strong leader here at LuHi. His gift for scoring the ball is undeniable, but he has also shown great improvement on the defensive end of the floor. I am proud of his growth and know that his best basketball is still ahead of him.”

Anthony’s commitment could vault Syracuse into top 10 recruiting classes nationally. Anthony joins five-star forward Sadiq White, one of the top stars in high school basketball; three-star wing Aaron Womack; and Australian native Luke Fennikel in the Orange’s incoming group.

“When I think of Syracuse basketball, I think of the 30,000 fans going wild in the Dome,” Anthony said. “We want to give Syracuse basketball our best. With Sadiq White and the rest of my teammates, we will put on a show for the fans in Syracuse.”