Ax: Of course Kiyan Anthony is coming to Syracuse. The question now is where to set the bar

Syracuse, NY – Welcome to Syracuse, Kiyan Anthony.

So where should we set the bar now that you’re locked and loaded as one of the most anticipated recruits in program history?

This is how Kiyan sees it.

“I want to show people what Syracuse basketball should be,” Anthony said Friday.

That’s a pretty telling statement from a 17-year-old with some perspective.

He picked Syracuse as the best place to start a basketball career, but realizes the country needs a restart.

So what should Syracuse basketball “look like,” to steal a phrase from Kiyan?

Consistent appearance in the NCAA tournament (somewhere Syracuse hasn’t been in three seasons) and presence in the polls (somewhere the Orange haven’t been since December 2018) are literal representations of where Syracuse should be.

Anthony’s commitment brings more than a rising top-40 talent in the Class of 2025 to Syracuse.

It brings a serious atmosphere to the Syracuse basketball universe.

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Anthony is far from a traditional recruit, but he is one recruit. Even in the age of transfer portals, bringing in top recruits has resonance.

SU’s 2025 recruiting class, which includes Sadiq White, a five-star, 6-foot-4 forward from Charlotte, North Carolina, Aaron Womack, a 6-5 guard from Milwaukee, and Luke Fennell, a 6-6 guard from Melbourne, Australia is now already impressive.

The addition of Anthony makes him a force to be reckoned with, ensures Adrian Autry’s job security for the foreseeable future and provides a reason to continue to look over the horizon with certainty no matter how the 2024-2025 season unfolds.

The decision to buck those expectations and embrace his destiny in Orange is one that will earn Anthony endless goodwill from the SU fan base.

It also brings a sigh of relief that could bring down a building for Autry and the coaching staff.

If Anthony had gone to USC instead of Syracuse and become a star — and he said he almost committed during a recent recruiting visit to LA — it would have been the hardest pill to swallow and something the fanbase would never tell you would make you forget.

Okay, but how good is he?

Anthony’s efforts immediately vaulted Syracuse’s 2025 recruiting class into the Top 6 in the nation, according to 247Sports.

There’s no shortage of YouTube opinions on his game if you want to enter that wormhole, but I’ll pull one from a conversation I had with ESPN’s Paul Biancardi on the “Syracuse Sports” podcast in September.

“He has really become a goalscorer,” Biancardi told me. “He told me on the phone that his dad really worked with him on his footwork. Now you can think of it as a rising senior.

“He scores the ball when he wants. His shot quality sometimes makes you wonder if that was a good shot. The same goes for many high school students. As he gets older, he will have to adjust the recording quality. But his ability to put big points on the board is excellent. What I like about him is that he has the confidence. He really believes he can score every time.”

Kiyan will be a star from Day 1 with a plethora of name, image and likeness deals waiting for the moment he steps onto campus.

He will be a starter from Day 1, with every shot, dribble, rebound, steal, sound bite and social media post under heavy scrutiny.

Anthony’s parents, Carmelo and La La, wanted their son to forge his own path, but also know that the son of a Syracuse legend and future basketball Hall of Famer can’t escape the spotlight here.

“These are big shoes to fill, but at the same time this is his moment, his path and his time to create his own reality,” La LA Anthony said Friday after her son made his commitment on his father’s podcast in front of an audience from thousands of streaming fans.

Kiyan Anthony hasn’t fled the spotlight, he’s heading for it with full force.

His father admitted Friday “how difficult it was” for him to remain quiet during the trial.

Now that Kiyan has signed up, Carmelo has this emotional message for his son.

“Don’t be afraid of it. Embrace it,” said Carmelo Anthony. “Because the guys who looked at me and looked at me are not your fans. You have the chance to build a whole new fan base.

“You have a new fan base; you have energy. What you can do with that community and that university… it’s a whole new fan base and community that he’s building. He will have to put pressure on himself.”

What should Syracuse basketball look like?

If Kiyan can tap into the kind of passion and pride for Syracuse that flowed from his father on Friday, he’s poised to lead the way again.

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