Syracuse basketball should be a big player for Carmelo Anthony 4-star son

Last Sunday, the son of Syracuse basketball legend Carmelo Anthony said via social media that he had received a scholarship offer from the Orange.

First and foremost, that’s beautiful. We had been hoping, lately, that the ‘Cuse would offer 2025 four-star prospect Kiyan Anthony after media reports said that Syracuse basketball was showing interest in the 6-foot-3 shooting guard from New York City.

Secondly, let’s pump the brakes just a tad in declaring that Anthony is a lock to commit to the Orange in the future.

We did note in a recent column that Anthony appears extremely high on Syracuse basketball, but at the same time, he’s a sophomore in high school, and his recruiting process likely has a long way to go.

Syracuse basketball is officially in the mix for the son of Carmelo Anthony.

As we all know, Carmelo Anthony is a long-time NBA star who guided the ‘Cuse to the program’s first and only national title in 2003. And last weekend, Anthony received a huge applause when he attended the Syracuse football game against Florida State.

Kiyan Anthony, too, was at that contest versus FSU, and social media posts seemed to indicate that he was chatting at one point with Syracuse basketball assistant coaches Adrian Autry and Gerry McNamara.

Anthony is absolutely deserving of a ‘Cuse offer, regardless of who his father is. Per 247Sports, when I wrote this piece, Anthony checked in at No. 62 nationally, No. 14 at shooting guard and No. 3 in New York within the 2025 class.

I have every confidence that as he continues to shine in high school and on the AAU circuit, Anthony’s national rankings will climb. But so, too, will his offer sheet.

College coaches will be able to start making direct contact with 2025 prospects in mid-June of next year. Between now and then, I’m sure that Anthony will pick up more offers, and once that contact period opens up, his recruitment is likely to blow up.

Besides the Orange, Anthony has offers from teams such as Memphis, Bryant, George Mason and Manhattan. Illinois, Penn State, St. John’s, Morgan State and others are reportedly displaying interest in him.

The 2022-23 season is just getting underway, and Anthony as a sophomore is expected to play a key role for the famed Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, N.Y.

High-school hoops analysts, ahead of 2022-23, were viewing Christ the King as a contender for a top-25 national ranking. Assuming that Christ the King is really good this season, and Anthony has a stellar sophomore year, I could envision blue-blood programs and other college giants entering the fray for him.

In a recent TikTok video, Anthony said that he wants to get Syracuse basketball to the “top of my list,” adding, “I want to create the hype.”

Certainly, that’s great to hear. And maybe he does have his heart set on following in the footsteps of Carmelo Anthony and suiting up on the Hill.

At the same time, were Kiyan Anthony to play for the Orange, given what his dad was able to accomplish in just one season in Central New York, there would likely be added pressure thrown Kiyan Anthony’s way.

Unfairly or not, that is simply the reality of the world that we live in today. Furthermore, as time passes, Anthony could eventually decide that he wants to carve out his own path, rather than compete for the same college squad as his father.

Let’s see what other impressive offers he hauls in. Memphis, by the way, is a strong offer. More will come, that much I can promise you.

Do I think that Syracuse basketball will emerge as a significant contender for Anthony in his recruitment? Absolutely. Do I think he’s likely to commit to the Orange? I won’t go that far.

I’ve tracked the recruitments of many top-flight prospects since I began writing for Inside The Loud House in 2016. Things ebb and flow. Nothing is a given. Oh, and name, image and likeness opportunities add another layer to the recruiting arena.

Anthony’s recruiting process will be an intriguing one, for sure. We’ll monitor it closely. That he got an offer from the ‘Cuse in his sophomore season is encouraging.

But as I’ll continue to opine, it’s not a guarantee that Kiyan Anthony will don a Syracuse basketball uniform in the future. It would be tons of fun, though, if he ultimately did.