Consensus 4-star 2025 prospect Kiyan Anthony has decided to follow in his legendary father’s footsteps. He committed to play for Adrian Autry and the Syracuse Orange earlier tonight. Anthony, the son of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team member Carmelo Anthony, chose Syracuse over his two other finalists, Auburn and USC, per On3’s Joe Tipton.
Anthony told 7 pm in Brooklyn that his decision came between Syracuse and USC.
“Syracuse has a young core on the team now,” Anthony previously told On3 about what he liked about the Orange’s program. “And I learned a lot about the coaches and their vision. They’re very together, I mean they’re still trying to figure everything out. The team is switching to Coach (Adrian) Autry’s identity, switching from the zone to man to man. They’re still recruiting hard. When I speak with the coaches, they let me know the vision. The type of players they’re recruiting and who all they think will be around. I liked all the stuff I heard from them.”
Syracuse Basketball Legend’s Son Makes College Decision
Carmelo Anthony averaged 22.2 points in his 19 NBA career, during which time he was a 10-time all-star. The No. 10 all-time leading scorer in NBA history played one season for Syracuse, leading the Orange to the 2003 national title, before being selected with the No. 3 pick by the Denver Nuggets.
Like his father, Anthony is known as a bucket-getter. The 6-5 wing, named one of the top 10 scorers in the 2025 recruiting class by On3’s Jaime Shaw, is ultra-aggressive on the offensive as he consistently looks for his shot. He has a variety of tricks in his bag, possessing an excellent mid-range game that includes floaters, pull-ups, and step-backs. Additionally, he possesses deep range and is adept in the pick-n-roll.
Kiyan’s Anthony Scouting Report
Anthony averaged 19.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while playing Team Melo, his father’s AAU team, on the Nike EYBL Circuit this spring and summer. The 17-year-old Quenns (NY) native was the top scorer at the NBA Top 100 camp in Orlando (28.5) and put up 40 points, making 15 of his 19 shots, in a game at the Peach Jam in July.
Here is Shaw’s scouting report on Anthony:
Kiyan Anthony has upside as a scorer, and at this point, probably the most important thing to note in his game is the continued development he has shown over the past eight to 12 months. Physically, Anthony carries solid positional size and excellent length, he is still growing into his frame as he is a late-bloomer physically.
He is a confident scorer. It starts with his jump shot. He has a smooth release with deep range on the release. Anthony is able to create some space with the ball in his hands to get a clean look at the rim. He does have a variety of side-steps and step-backs to get into his shooting motion. He is going to need to continue working with his footwork and his balance points with his shots.
Anthony needs to get stronger, and a lot of that will come with continued natural growth. He already has natural instincts and an ability to self-create opportunity. He will need to continue tightening his handle, which should enable him to do more on-the-ball stuff for his team in the half-court. As he gets stronger, he will also continue developing on the defensive end. That is the side of the floor where he is going to need to continue staying locked in with.
Anthony has a recruiting ranking of 95.96 and is ranked as the 35th-best prospect. He is ranked between the 30th and 48th best prospect by the four top individual scouting services, with On3 ranking him the highest at No. 30. 247Sports has Anthony ranked at No. 34 and ESPN at 36th. Meanwhile, 247Sports has him ranked at 48th.
Syracuse Orange Future
Syracuse is 2-0 for the second straight season as they host Youngstown State on November 16 after a pair of close victories. SU defeated Le Moyne (86-82) and Colgate (76-72) at home. Junior Chris Bell leads four players in double-figures with 17.0 points a game. Senior Jyare Davis, junior JJ Starling, and senior Eddie Lampkin are the other Oange in double-figures.
Autry’s 2024 recruiting class, ranked 35th in the nation by 247Sports, includes two consensus top 80 players. Donnie Freeman, the No. 8 overall prospect, has struggled shooting over his first two games but has hit the glass hard. Elijah Moore, the No. 77 consensus prospect, has also struggled early, while French native Petar Majstorovic has seen sparse time.
While Anthony’s decision was expected, it was still a huge coup for Autry. Anthony is the fourth player in the Orange’s 2025 recruiting class, ranked sixth in the nation by 247Sports and 20th by On3. He joins consensus 4-star power forward Saddiq White, a pair of 3-star recruiters in 6-5 Australian point guard Luke Fennell, and 6-5 wing Aaron Womack. White, Fennell, and Womack have officially signed with the Orange.
It is hard to figure out where Autry will go from here in terms of his 2025 recruiting. The Orange have four seniors on scholarship, so unless another player leaves, the maximum scholarship they have available is one. However, with the current state of college basketball, players will likely leave the program after the season (via NBA or transfer).
