“He’s a legitimate player”: Analyst foresees success for Kiyan Anthony even if he wasn’t Carmelo Anthony’s son
Carmelo Anthony's son, Kiyan Anthony, is a highly touted basketball prospect who is already receiving significant attention from fans and analysts despite not having played a single college basketball game yet. The four-star guard is ranked No. 1 in New York in the 2025 recruiting class.
On the August 11 episode of 'NY Got Game,' Arden Franklyn discussed Kiyan's potential with host/analyst Dexter Henry and explained why he believes the 17-year-old has a bright future ahead of him.
"[03:11] I think for Kiyan, being the type of player that he's been, he hasn't run away from those games, he's played in a lot of those games. I think that has been very instrumental to his development and Carmelo and La La, they've embraced that, " Franklyn said.
"He shows out and it only legitimizes him in a way. He's not protected in terms of like he can't play, no he can play. He chooses to. He competes and he's a real New York hooper. Even if he wasn't Carmelo's son or if his last name wasn't Anthony, I still think he would get the reputation that he has because he's a legitimate player, the way he scores his attitude is different," he added.
The 6-foot-5 guard from Long Island Lutheran High saw a boost in his popularity following his brilliant performance at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam this offseason. He received 21 scholarship offers from various schools, per 247Sports, and he has trimmed down the list to his final six: Syracuse, Florida State, Ohio State, Auburn, USC, and Rutgers.
A national analyst is confident that Kiyan Anthony will sign with Syracuse
Kiyan Anthony will play his final year of high school basketball in the coming season before heading to college. Basketball analysts have been discussing his recruitment for the past couple of weeks.
Eric Bossi, the director of national basketball at 247Sports, is not considering any option for Kiyan other than his father's alma mater, Syracuse.
"Maybe something crazy happens here but I think him ending up anywhere other than Syracuse for school would be one of the bigger surprises we've ever seen in recruiting," Bossi said via The College Basketball Show.
"The favorite has to be Syracuse, right? With Kiyan we're talking about a dude whose dad is a legend. Obviously, Carmelo won a national championship there. His name is on the building that they practice in. Can't see that guy passing that up to go to Rutgers. It just doesn't make any sense," Bossi added.
Kiyan Anthony made an official trip to Syracuse last year and he is planning to visit the campus for the second time soon. The Orange's coach, Adrian Autry, has also shown strong interest in recruiting him.