Photo: Carmelo Anthony's ex La La shares a post anticipating her son Kiyan Anthony's college decision

By Kayode Akinwumi

Modified Nov 14, 2024 21:15 GMT

Kiyan Anthony's mother La La has joined in the anticipation of his son's college commitment announcement. Kiyan is expected to choose between his final three options—Syracuse, Auburn and USC—on Friday. La La shared the news on her Instagram story, heightening the mood of expectation ahead of the announcement.

La La Anthony shares news of her son's commitment on her IG story

Kiyan Anthony is a four-star senior shooting guard from Long Island Lutheran High School in Middle Village, New York. The son of former NBA star Carmelo Anthony ranks as the No. 9 shooting guard nationally and the No. 35 overall prospect, per On3 Industry Rankings. Kiyan has attracted interest from elite college basketball programs, receiving 21 offers according to 247Sports.

Dissecting Kiyan Anthony's final options

With so much interest from top programs across the country, Kiyan is one of the most recruited talents of the 2025 class. The guard narrowed his options to three schools in October, as his final high school season draws nearer. Before then, other top schools in contention for his commitment include Florida State, Ohio State and Rutgers.

Of his final three options, his deepest connection is to Syracuse where his dad was an outstanding hoops star. Carmelo played on the 2003 Orange team that conquered college basketball to win the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse is also the only New York school in Kiyan’s final three, and fans would love to see the state's top talent wear their color.

The prospect admitted he liked “all the stuff he heard from” the staff at Syracuse. He also thinks there is “a young core on the team now.” Whether or not he joins this “young core” remains to be seen. However, he has built a rapport with the coaches from USC and Auburn, saying that USC’s Eric Mussel “shows a lot of love.”

Notwithstanding, the youngster has expressed what objective factors would inform his final decision. He told On3, “I'm looking for good coaching.” However, quality coaching is not enough for him if it does not translate to winning.

“I want to win. I feel like all the schools that I am talking to have a winning culture,” he said.

Kiyan Anthony has also been specific about the style of play he looks forward to playing in college. He described his preferred style as, “fast-paced, an offense that spreads the floor and keys in on versatility and guard play.”