Kiyan Anthony was one of the top prospects in the 2025 recruiting class. He had offers from several top programs, including Michigan, Tennessee and Indiana, but decided to join Syracuse, his father’s alma mater.
The program could have lost Anthony after a single season. Speaking with Syracuse.com’s Mike Waters on Tuesday, the shooting guard revealed that other schools had shown interest in him after Year 1. With Syracuse having fired coach Adrian Autry after three seasons, Anthony was close to leaving. However, he said he decided to stay and meet with the new coach, Gerry McNamara.
“Honestly, I feel like if anybody else got the job, I probably would have transferred,” Anthony said. “Obviously, I’ve known him since I was 4 or 5 years old. So, you know, it’s a different connection (than) with any other coach you’ll get.”
“I feel like obviously it was a big question if I was transferring and a lot of schools got wind of that. A lot of schools wanted me to come visit and everything like that. But I wanted to meet with GMac before I did anything.”
Gerry McNamara and Kiyan Anthony’s dad Carmelo Anthony played for Syracuse during the 2002-03 season, winning the national championship under Jim Boeheim. Carmelo then entered the 2003 draft and was selected with the No. 3 pick by the Nuggets.
Taking a look at Kiyan Anthony’s rookie year
Last season, Kiyan Anthony played in 29 games for the Syracuse Orange but had just two starts. He averaged 8.0 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.
Under Adrian Autry, the team finished with a 15-17 record (6-12 ACC). This was their fifth consecutive season without making the NCAA Tournament. The last time they made March Madness was during the 2020-21 season, when they were eliminated by Houston in the Sweet Sixteen.
With new coach Gerry McNamara in place, it remains to be seen whether Kiyan Anthony and the rest of the Syracuse team can end this drought.
Also Read: Kentucky Coach Mark Pope Reveals Why Milan Momcilovic Was Sold on Joining the Program
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