Kiyan Anthony had a strong freshman season at Syracuse, averaging 8.0 points and 1.4 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game, while former head coach Adrian Autry mostly used him as a role player off the bench in 29 games.
The 6’5″ son of Syracuse legend and 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony will not follow the same one-and-done route his father took after helping the Orange win their only national championship. Kiyan will return for another season to play for Carmelo’s former teammate and current Syracuse head coach, Gerry McNamara, as the team aims for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021.
Kiyan Anthony Announces Return to Syracuse Under Gerry McNamara
Kiyan officially confirmed his return to Syracuse in a report by On3’s Joe Tipton. The incoming sophomore also shared a photo on Instagram titled “I’m Back” with the school and JMA Wireless Dome in the background. It also included the caption, “The Right Way.”
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The Denver, Colorado, native played in 29 games for the Orange last season. He shot 39.9% from the field, including 25.4% from 3-point range. Kiyan also made 62.8% of his free throws. He scored a career-high 19 points in Syracuse’s 83-43 victory over Delaware State on November 8, 2025, and scored 18 points twice against Drexel and Northeastern.
However, Kiyan was benched during a loss to Virginia last February. Instead of criticizing the coaching staff, Carmelo posted on social media that the move would help his son grow. The freshman did not play in the Orange’s final two games because of injury.
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Syracuse finished 15-17 (6-12 ACC) this past season. It was the first time since 1968-69 that the Orange had back-to-back losing seasons, leading to Autry’s dismissal and McNamara’s hiring. This year, the 42-year-old coach led Siena to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010 and nearly upset Duke in the first round.
McNamara played alongside Carmelo during the 2002-03 season and made six 3-pointers in the national championship game against Kansas, helping the Orange win the NCAA title. He was a four-year starter under Syracuse coaching legend Jim Boeheim and set program records in 3-pointers made (400), free-throw percentage (.888), and minutes played (4,799) from 2002 to 2006.
Carmelo showed full support for his former teammate as the Orange’s head coach and said on his podcast “7 p.m. in Brooklyn” that McNamara is the perfect person to develop his son.
“(Gerry) is going to bring something out of Kai (Kiyan Anthony),” Carmelo Anthony said. “And the first way he’s going to do that is giving him that confidence that he needs. … The plan is to build a program. Get a program back. That’s the plan.”
The NBA legend said that McNamara checked all the boxes for Syracuse, and now he just needs to prove he’s the best person for the job.
