Syracuse guard Kiyan Anthony announces return for sophomore season
Syracuse guard Kiyan Anthony, the son of SU great Carmelo Anthony, averaged 8.0 points on 39.9% shooting in 29 appearances this season. Leonardo Eriman | Daily Orange File Photo
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Syracuse guard Kiyan Anthony will return to the Orange for his sophomore season, he announced on social media Wednesday. Anthony, the son of SU great Carmelo Anthony, averaged eight points on 39.9% shooting in 29 appearances this season.
Anthony’s return completes an important offseason objective for new head coach Gerry McNamara. Since the former Siena coach was hired on March 24, the Orange have lost six players to the transfer portal, including standouts Donnie Freeman and Naithan George.
McNamara has brought along two players from the Saints: Gavin Doty and Tasman Goodrick. Freshman forward Sadiq White Jr. also announced his return Wednesday, and Anthony’s return helps solidify Syracuse’s core.
Anthony primarily showed promise early in his freshman campaign. He made a few starts in place of the injured J.J. Starling and averaged 22.9 minutes a game across SU’s first 12 contests. He poured in 11 double digit performances across his freshman year, including a career-high 19 points against Delaware State on Nov. 8, 2025.
Anthony’s role decreased in Atlantic Coast Conference play, averaging just 15.9 minutes across 16 of SU’s ACC games. He was even benched against Virginia and didn’t appear in SU’s ACC Tournament loss against SMU on March 10. Former head coach Adrian Autry was fired the next day, raising questions of whether Anthony would return to Syracuse for his sophomore season.
But, after the hiring of McNamara — a former teammate of Carmelo’s — Anthony reaffirmed his commitment to the Orange. Now, he’ll look to take a sophomore leap as one of Syracuse’s top returners.
