Syracuse, N.Y. ― Kiyan Anthony may not be the highest-ranked recruit in Syracuse history, but as the son of Orange legend Carmelo Anthony, he is certainly one of the most publicized players prior to their arrival on The Hill.
Anthony, a 6-foot-6 guard, has done little to quiet the buzz that seems to constantly surround him.
In his college debut, he scored 15 points in Syracuse’s 85-47 win over Binghamton.
This past Saturday, Anthony made his first college start, replacing the injured JJ Starling in SU coach Adrian Autry’s starting lineup. Anthony responded with a 19-point effort as the Orange cruised past Delaware State 83-43.
Readers have had a lot of questions about Anthony. I picked one out for this week’s Mailbox.
A reminder: The Mailbox returns as part of our Inside Syracuse Basketball newsletter. As a subscriber to the newsletter, you’ll get the Mailbox earlier. You’ll also be able to submit questions directly to me at mwaters@syracuse.com.
Q: Is it me or does Kiyan Anthony’s game have a lot in common with SU legend Lawrence Moten? It’s only been two games but Kiyan has been a joy to watch. - Jonathan A.
Mike: In his first two games at Syracuse, Kiyan Anthony averaged 17 points. His 19-point performance in his first college start on Saturday against Delaware State also included three rebounds, four assists and zero turnovers.
It’s been a nice beginning to the season for the much-hyped freshman. I’ve been trying to draw comparisons to former SU players. I can see how some would think of Lawrence Moten. They share a scorer’s mentality. Neither relies on incredible athleticism.
But I don’t think it’s an exact match.
Anthony is a better outside shooter at this stage of his development. Moten was craftier in and around the basket. Anthony does not have Moten’s defensive instincts, although I have been impressed with his effort at that end of the court. Certainly, we can’t expect Anthony to match Moten’s output as a freshman: 18.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
I’ll say this: After sifting through Syracuse players over the last 30 or 40 years, I couldn’t come up with a better comparison than Moten.
Q: Can JJ Starling get a 5th year due to Covid or did he already get that year? - Michael Z.
Mike: No, there’s no fifth year of eligibility as a result of the Covid year for JJ Starling. The NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to all athletes for playing in the Covid-impacted 2020-21 season.
Starling’s freshman year at Notre Dame was the 2022-23 season. He played in 28 games that year and then 32 as a sophomore at Syracuse and then 25 last season.
The only way Starling would get a fifth year is if he winds up qualifying for a medical redshirt this year. I don’t think his current injury is anywhere near being that serious.
Q: I believe this year’s team has the record on the number of first last names for a college basketball team. Kyle, George, Anthony and Betsey. Has there ever been one with more? - Damon A.
Mike: This question was so silly that I had to attempt an answer.
There have been a lot of Syracuse players whose surnames were common first names. The list would include Sherman Douglas, Jim Lee, Etan Thomas and Carmelo Anthony.
The 2009-10 team had five players with surname/first names (provided some poetic license and the use of a walk-on).
They were: Kris Joseph, Rick Jackson (Hey, that’s Buddy Boeheim’s real first name), DaShonte Riley, Brandon Triche and Brandon Reese.
