Since he’s been in middle school, Syracuse has been the presumed destination for Kiyan Anthony. With his dad leading the Orange to the 2003 national title, that prediction makes a lot of sense. It’s exciting too, given he’s a consensus 4-star recruit and top-50 player in the class of 2025. However, it usually isn’t that simple in the modern age of college basketball.
There are lots of other schools trying to win over Anthony. Plus, there’s NIL money to consider. So far, he’s gotten offers from Memphis, with former NBA star Penny Hardaway leading the charge, plus Arizona State. Beyond schools with official offers, Kentucky, Indiana, Florida State, Auburn, and Tennessee have all demonstrated interest.
A lot has changed over the last week, however. Kiyan Anthony has played three games in the EYBL circuit, this time in Indianapolis. He’s impressed too, scoring 24 points per game. In the crowd was Adrian Autry and the Syracuse coaching staff. That’s a good sign, and an even better sign is what followed. Before the games, On3 gave SU a 45% chance at leading Anthony, which was still the highest, but not great. Now, On3 has upped its prediction to 90%.
Honestly, 90% might be a bit too high. Kiyan Anthony has called Mike Woodson, the head coach of Indiana, “my Godfather.” When talking about Florida State, he commented, “I feel like I’d take a second visit to them.” The chances are still great that Syracuse secured Anthony, but it’s not close to final yet.
One last bit of encouraging news is some attention from LeBron James. His son, Bryce, played in the same games as Kiyan last week. After watching the two play together, James posted a picture of the duo on Instagram with the words “Them ONES!!!”
Having one of the greatest basketball players ever that hyped about a Syracuse recruit is a great sign.
