The Syracuse 2025-26 season has a fresh and positive change with the arrival of Kiyan Anthony as a young guard, the son of Carmelo Anthony, who is part of the Orange’s roster.
While the squad is getting ready for the new season, there are doubts about the newbie’s skills allowing him to take the lead over Nate Kingz, the new transfer.
Kiyan Anthony’s Bench Impact Could Shake Up Starting Five
Analysts in the basketball industry are already speculating about Anthony changing Syracuse’s rotation for the better. Per Jackson Holzer, a commentator from Locked On Syracuse, the newcomer may even give a strong chance for extended playing time, assuming he plays well.
“But I think one of the best case scenarios of this team for next year is that Kiyan Anthony starts to force the coaching staff’s hand a little bit,” Holzer explained on the July 4 episode. “They almost make it so that they have to play him in the starting lineup. Ideally, Nate Kingz is doing his thing at small forward. JJ Starling, I don’t think is going to come out of the starting lineup no matter what.”
Holzer emphasized that Kingz would be the most vulnerable starter if Anthony excels: “The hope is that Nate Kingz is playing well, but Kiyan Anthony is doing so well off the bench that they have to give him more minutes.”
Anthony comes to Syracuse with great high school accolades. He averaged 19.6 points per game on the EYBL circuit and 15.2 points in the 2024-25 Nike EYBL Scholastic league.
Nate Kingz, a transfer from Oregon State, comes with proven college production. Last season, Kingz averaged 11.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, with an elite 44.6 percentage from three-point range. He fits perfectly into coach Adrian Autry’s system, bringing veteran experience and reliable shooting from the perimeter.
JJ Starling, the returning starter, surely looks to be locked in after averaging 17.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists last season.
This competition between Anthony and Kingz represents the clear juxtaposition of untried potential versus tried production. If Anthony can turn high school success into college-level success while providing some dynamic scoring off the bench, Syracuse may have the nice problem of simply having too many guys that could start.
Ultimately, coach Autry will have to decide. But it’s hard not to see Anthony’s background and scoring ability as one of the most interesting battles for position heading into the season.