There are many children of professional athletes who find themselves following in their parent’s footsteps.
The up-and-coming son of an NBA legend Carmelo Anthony, 2025 four-star recruit Kiyan Anthony, is no different. And he is one of the top seniors in high school basketball this year.
Anthony, a top-30 recruit in the cycle, has long been an elite guard in the 2025 class, developing into one of the top scorers and facilitators at 6’5”, 185 pounds.
Playing on one of the top high school teams in the nation (Long Island Lutheran), Anthony has outgrown the stigma of being an NBA player’s son and has emerged as an aggressive shooting guard who has the ability to make a wide array of shots.
That leads us to his recruitment, as the four-star has been a popular name, earning 21 offers, including ones from Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio State.
But, as he nears the beginning of his senior season, Anthony has narrowed down his decision to three schools, with an expected commitment date of Friday, November 15.
Syracuse, USC, and Auburn are the three finalists for the four-star, but this appears to be more of a two-headed race between the former two, as Anthony hasn’t taken an official visit to Auburn. Moreover, he canceled his Rutgers official visit, taking them out of the running, and setting this up to be a competitive battle for different reasons between the top programs.
Syracuse’s appeal is clear: Anthony has the chance to follow in his father’s footsteps and be the leader of the program that Carmelo brought a National Championship to as a freshman back in 2003.
The legacy aspect of his situation is clear, and Anthony has also seemingly developed a close bond with the Orange coaching staff, led by head coach Adrian Autry.
The Orange already have three commits in their class of 2025: four-star forward Sadiq White Jr., three-star forward Aaron Womack, and Australian guard Luke Fennell.
But, Anthony would clearly be the headliner of the class, and would likely play a big role at Syracuse as a freshman.
USC, on the other hand, is in the mix, thanks to the relationship created between the four-star and head coach Eric Musselman, who began developing the connection while at Arkansas.
Musselman has a good track record with NBA players, which should resonate well with Anthony, and it would provide him the spotlight as well in the city where his mother lives.
Ultimately, it seems that Syracuse should be the perceived favorite here, not only because of the storyline, but also due to how much the coaching staff has recruited the four-star, being the first school to reach out and develop the relationship with the guard.
Anthony’s decision is set for November 15th, as he’ll put an end to his recruitment as his senior season is set to kick off, and one of USC, Syracuse, and Auburn will get a top-30 player added to their class with the high buzz that the four-star is set to bring to the next level.
