The Syracuse basketball program has high hopes for rookie Kiyan Anthony next season. The son of legendary NBA star Carmelo Anthony was recruited by the Orange as one of the top shooting guards in the 2025 class.
Kiyan hasn’t rested on his laurels since being drafted by his father’s alma mater, something that was celebrated by another Syracuse legend, Michael Carter-Williams.
Michael Carter-Williams Reacts to Kiyan Anthony’s Training Session
A video posted by the Instagram account @dashletics shows a hardcore training session of Kiyan Anthony. In the footage, he can be seen practicing moves to get to the hoop. Several assistants face him as defenders and use long sticks to block him.
Anthony looks very good in this training session, which attracted Carter-Williams’s attention:
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Anthony is one of four freshmen in the class of 2025 who will be available to head coach Adrian “Red” Autry for the 2025–26 season. He joins Sadiq White Jr., Luke Fennel, and Aaron Womack.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello ranks this quartet No. 14 in his top 25 draft picks for the class of 2025. Regarding Anthony specifically, the renowned analyst had this to say:
“The commitment that pushed the Orange into the top 15 was Kiyan Anthony, son of Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony. Anthony is an elite scorer with supreme confidence and unlimited range on his jumper.”
Kiyan’s bond with Syracuse is unbreakable, as his father had a legendary season with the Orange in 2002-03. He led the Orange to their first NCAA title, averaging 22.2 points per game (PPG) and 10.0 rebounds per game (RPG) and earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player (MOP) honors.
Carmelo’s clutch performances and polished scoring ability made him a consensus All-American. His impact cemented him as one of the greatest one-and-done stars in college basketball history.
There’s no doubt that attention like the kind shown to Carter-Williams is a boost for any member of the Syracuse Orange, even if we’re talking about Carmelo Anthony’s son.
Carter-Williams emerged as one of the most dynamic—yet polarizing—point guards in Syracuse basketball history during his two-year tenure under Jim Boeheim.
He struggled in a limited role as a freshman (2011–12), averaging just 2.7 points per game. However, his sophomore season (2012–13) saw a meteoric rise as a full-time starter, where he became the engine of Syracuse’s Final Four run.
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Carter-Williams declared for the 2013 NBA Draft after his sophomore year, selected 11th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, where he won Rookie of the Year. Though his NBA career never matched his college peak, his time at Syracuse remains iconic, due to his explosive playmaking, defensive dominance, and a pivotal role in one of Syracuse’s last true national title contenders.
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