All eyes have been on Syracuse University freshman baller Kiyan Anthony just five games into this college basketball season. Such is the case with sons of sports legends. Kiyan, the seed of NBA Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony and ‘Power Series’ actress La La, is leading a young core for head coach Adrian “Red” Autry.
Kiyan Anthony Shooting Struggles Against Kansas
In his latest game against Kansas, Anthony went 2 of 12 from the field to finish with six points. It wasn’t the performance he wanted but he has plenty of time to improve.
RELATED: Where’s My Belt! Kiyan Anthony’s GOAT Is Not His Dad Carmelo Anthony and He Says It To La La’s Face
Kiyan Anthony Comes Out Kicking In College With Syracuse
On Tuesday, Kiyan Anthony played a key role in the Orange taking No. 3 Houston to overtime, before losing a thriller, 78-74. His 10 points weren’t gaudy but contributed to establishing Anthony and his squad as a team to watch out for.
Anthony, a product of Christ The King and Long Island Lutheran HS, signed with Cuse to much fanfare. His celebrity ties – and his silky smooth game that is reminiscent of his dad – has put him at the center of attention for this college basketball season. The hype surrounding his early games against lower to middle tier D-1 opponents (Binghamton, Delaware State and Drexel) was deserved. He played nearly 30 minutes in all of those games scoring 15, 19 and 18 points.
Loss To No. 3 Houston Exposed Some Of Kiyan’s Weaknesses
In the last two games, Anthony’s minutes are down and so is his scoring, with just seven points in 21 minutes against Monmouth and then 10 points in 24 minutes against Houston. His shooting percentages (60 percent, 72.7 percent, 58.3 percent) in the first three games were sensational. He’s shooting just 29.8 percent in his last two games against tougher opponents. Despite those two games, fans are celebrating his arrival as the piece that catapults Syracuse hoops back to its old glory as a college powerhouse, when they were one of the dominant Big East programs.
Overall, the freshman is averaging 13.8 points per game, 2.6 rebounds and shooting 52 percent from the floor. He’s only shooting threes at less than 28 percent and his free throw shooting (42.6 percent) should actually almost be double that for the potential he’s shown as a pure shooter.
Kiyan still has a world of improvement to make in certain areas this season and he won’t be expected to be the man as his dad was as a freshman. Anthony is second on the team in scoring to forward Donnie Freeman, who averages 17.8 points per game. Junior point guard Naithan George is the main ballhandler and leads the team with 5.8 assists per game.
Head Coach Adrian Autry Sees Swift Elevation In Kiyan’s Overall Game: ACC Conference Schedule Looms
Head coach Adrian “Red” Autry has to find the perfect chemistry to maximize his team’s potential. Autry, a capable ballhandler and scorer during his days in the old Carrier Dome, says Anthony’s hard work over the summer has allowed him to come right in and get buckets at the Power 5 level.
“He’s gotten better over the summer. Improved his body,” Autry said in an interview on Nov. 21. “Improved his shot making and he has a natural ability with that. He has unshakeable confidence, and I know you need to have that as a player in anything in life that you do.”
The ACC is always among the elite college hoops conferences, and we will find out everything we need to know about young Kiyan in the upcoming months once the conference schedule kicks off and they have to handle multiple games against North Carolina and go to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face Duke.
Prior to that, they will get a stiff test against Kansas on Nov. 25th and No. 17 Tennessee on Dec. 2. It will be a gauntlet and if at the end of the process Kiyan is better and Syracuse is competing for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, then the season can be considered a success.
Fans React To Kiyan Anthony’s First Five Games Of College Career
So don’t look into anything that’s happened too deeply. Anthony is a freshman nicely transitioning to the next level. The hype is well-deserved too because recent sons of NBA greats haven’t fared well when it comes to approaching their daddy’s level of dominance.
“He gone be better than bronny lol,” said one fan.
“He’s going to be a problem for years to come. Love his competitive attitude,” added another.
With all of the praise, of course comes some people who aren’t buying into the Kiyan Anthony hype just yet.
“he’s not as explosive as I thought it was,” posted one netizen.
“Lmao. Two layups and a goal tend. My boy on defense moving slower than peak Wayne off that purple soda,” said another criticizing Kiyan’s defensive skills.
“Dude had 10 in a loss. wtf is the internet coming to,” asked one fan who was unimpressed with Kiyan’s efforts against Houston.
A Kiyan supporter replied: “against the #3 team in the nation, when you make statements like this you gotta use the full context lol.”
Added another fan: “So when bronny has 2 points they all start twerking in their panties rubbing honey on each other online.”
Kiyan isn’t there yet, but he’s becoming one of the top players in college basketball in short order and the cameras will remain as long as Melo and La La are in the building together, sitting side-by-side, cheering him on.
Fans Are Excited About Kiyan Anthony’s Journey, But It’s His Own Not His Parents’
The reports have been glowing. Basketball fans, casual fans and non-sports fans are invested in the offspring of one of America’s memorable celebrity couples, along with the drama that led to their divorce and the impressive manner in which they are co-parenting Kiyan to his dreams.
“Glad to see Lala & Melo putting their differences on the side for the sake of their son,” one fan on X said.
It’s a social media gold mine and a branding fantasy that families dream of. What we can’t do is forget that Kiyan is a human being going through the steps of life. Similar to Shedeur Sanders and Bronny James, he grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, so setbacks and adversity haven’t been a continuous theme. The difference is, he seems to be more likeable than Bronny and a bit “humbler” than Shedeur. The fact that he has come out of the gate showing he can get legit buckets has helped his public profile as well. There will be rough spots, but his pedigree and long-range abilities are undeniable.
As Cuse settles into the season, Kiyan will continue to be praised if he keeps getting buckets and his team can pull some upsets along the way. The game against Houston was just a glimpse into what this Cuse team can be once Kiyan finds his groove. Just give him time to refine his entire game and develop. Cheer with your eyes, not with your heart. Let his journey be his own. His mother and father have lived their dreams. Now Kiyan is forging his own imperfect path.
