Kiyan Anthony shines in Syracuse debut: ‘He’s a bucket getter’
In his official Syracuse debut versus Binghamton, Kiyan Anthony finished third on the team with 15 points, while also tacking on three rebounds and assists. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer
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Speaking to his son, Kiyan, over the phone pregame, Carmelo Anthony grew emotional.
He told Kiyan, who was making his Syracuse debut, that it felt like yesterday when he led the Orange to the 2003 National Championship. Kiyan said Carmelo added it’d be a “blessing” for him to see his son wear the same jersey he did.
Despite the emotions, Kiyan said his father’s message was to treat Monday like any other game. While he admitted he was nervous pregame, Kiyan could feel Carmelo’s enthusiasm through his phone.
“I only can imagine how he felt watching his son put on the jersey,” Kiyan said postgame.
Carmelo probably felt pretty proud, as Kiyan poured in 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting en route to Syracuse’s (1-0, Atlantic Coast) 85-47 season-opening win over Binghamton (0-1, America East). Kiyan led the Orange with 28 minutes, seeing an uptick after J.J. Starling suffered an early injury, while his points were the third most behind Donnie Freeman’s 20 and William Kyle III’s 16.
Because of his broadcasting responsibilities with NBC, Kiyan said Carmelo couldn’t be in the JMA Wireless Dome on Monday. However, his mother, La La, was in attendance, sitting courtside and rocking a Syracuse jersey. Kiyan noted that Carmelo is expected to be in attendance when SU hosts Delaware State on Saturday.
La La Anthony, Kiyan’s mother, watches her son from the left side of the scorer’s table. In his Syracuse debut, Kiyan shot 6-of-10 and was one of five players to score 10-plus points. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer
Once Starling went down less than three minutes into the game, Kiyan was Adrian Autry’s first substitute off the bench. His first collegiate point came after he split a pair of free throws with SU leading 25-9 with 4:35 remaining in the first half. Just over two minutes later, Anthony penetrated the lane, used a spin move near the free throw line and absorbed a bump before banking in his first field goal.
With a minute left in the half, Kiyan received the ball on the right wing behind the 3-point line. He then used a crossover to create separation from Binghamton’s Jackson Benigni and get near the free-throw line before splashing home a mid-range jumper off his left leg.
While Carmelo utilized his strength and physicality as he scored the 10th most points in NBA history before becoming a Hall of Famer, Kiyan’s skillset is vastly different from his father’s. Kiyan’s coach at Long Island Lutheran High School, John Buck, explained that one of his strengths as a scorer comes from slithering in and out of space — just like he did when scoring his fourth and fifth points.
“You guys see it, he’s ready,” SU guard Luke Fennell said of Kiyan. “He’s a bucket getter; he can do that, so it’s just beautiful to watch.”
Joining Syracuse’s starting lineup for the second half, Kiyan embarked on a personal 6-0 run, as the Orange made their first seven field goals coming out of the locker room. His first bucket came off a dribble handoff with Freeman, where he beat his defender with a quick first step before gliding downhill and finishing a contested layup with his left hand.
On SU’s ensuing possession, the shot clock was dwindling when Kiyan touched the ball for the first time. A screen from Kyle on the left wing initially forced the Bearcats to switch before Jayden Kelsey, the on-ball defender, recovered. Though Kelsey guarded Kiyan closely with six seconds left on the shot clock, he utilized a step-back before knocking down the mid-range jumper over the defender’s outstretched arm.
After his 15-point debut Monday, Kiyan Anthony takes questions from numerous members of the media. This season, Anthony will be followed by a documentary crew and is often swarmed by reporters in the locker room postgame. Justin Girshon | Senior Staff Writer
During the Orange’s next trip down the floor, point guard Naithan George caught Kiyan’s defender sleeping, feeding him while he was mid-air to set up an uncontested dunk. It was one of George’s game-high eight assists, extending Syracuse’s lead to 49-22 just under five minutes into the second half.
Though Kiyan didn’t score for over 11 minutes, eventually draining his first 3-pointer on three attempts, he dished out two of his three assists while impressing his head coach on the defensive end.
“I was very pleased with the way he played on both sides of the ball,” Autry said.
In the locker room postgame, Kiyan drew the largest crowd of reporters. It’s nothing new, as his highlights have been featured on social media since he was in middle school. Throughout the season, Kiyan will even have a documentary crew following him around.
Before playing for the Orange, Kiyan revealed during SU’s Media Day that he looks back at Carmelo’s highlights all the time — joking that they’re blurry because it was so long ago. Kiyan’s highlights from his Syracuse debut are in full focus, already gaining millions of views across social media just hours after the game.
As Carmelo’s son, attention will always follow. But if one game is an early indication, Kiyan’s beginning to forge a special individual legacy.
