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Kiyan Anthony is reportedly set to choose between Auburn, USC and Syracuse for the 2025-26 college basketball season. The son of former NCAA champion and NBA veteran Carmelo Anthony will announce his choice on Friday during an appearance on his father's podcast.
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If Kiyan Anthony chooses Syracuse, he'll follow the path of his legendary father, who gave the Orange, formerly Orangemen, their only national title in 2003. If he sidesteps and picks USC, the four-star shooting guard would be the next high-profile, second-generation player taking his skills to the Trojans since LeBron James' son, Bronny, played 25 games this past season.
Here are the five reasons why picking the USC Trojans makes sense for Kiyan Anthony.
5 reasons why picking USC Trojans makes sense for Kiyan Anthony
#1. He'll not be pressured to follow his father's footsteps
Choosing USC over Syracuse makes sense for Kiyan Anthony because he'll be his own man and won't be pressured to do what his father did in Syracuse. He'll have a clean slate at USC and a former NBA coach to mentor him from the sidelines.
#2. He'll be coached by Eric Musselman
If he opts to play for USC, Anthony will be handled by former NBA coach Eric Musselman, who will train him toward the NBA path and help him gain some positive raves from the scouts.
#3. He'll play in the Big Ten Conference
Kiyan Anthony will be tested in the Big Ten Conference if he chooses to play for USC. He'll play against top teams like Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan State and Michigan, among others.
Having a tough conference to play for should help Anthony develop his skills and boost his readiness for the NBA.
#4. He likes the weather in California
Kiyan Anthony previously described his official trip to USC as the best visit he had among the schools that wanted to secure his interest. Anthony hinted that the weather in California could make him choose USC over Syracuse.
He also liked the atmosphere inside the campus, his future teammates and the practice sessions conducted by the Trojans during his trip.
#5. USC gives him more TV exposure than Syracuse
Playing at USC would better place Kiyan Anthony in the national spotlight compared to Syracuse. The Big Ten has lately become must-see TV due to its exciting games, strong teams and big-time players.
On the other hand, Syracuse will need to build a strong team in the 2025-26 season to contend in a strong ACC which already has Duke prospects Cayden and Cameron Boozer in its lineup and rising teams like Notre Dame and SMU.
Having Kiyan Anthony in either USC or Syracuse would be big for both teams, for it would have a bona fide second-generation star looking to make a name for himself despite having a basketball great as his father.
Which among USC and Syracuse do you think Kiyan Anthony should choose for college? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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