Ohio State missed out on former USC guard Bronny James during his high school recruitment two years ago, but that has not stopped the program from looking to secure a commitment from another son of an NBA legend this offseason.
On Friday, the Buckeyes and head coach Jake Diebler extended an offer to Glen Head (N.Y.) Long Island Lutheran four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony (6-5, 185), the son of former 10-time NBA All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony, who hails from the same high school as former Ohio State and current Dayton forward Zed Key, has made a name for himself on the court. He enters his senior year as the nation’s 38th-best prospect, fourth-best shooting guard and top-ranked player in New York after a 2023-24 season in which he averaged 8.2 points, 2.3 assists and 1.5 rebounds off the bench during EYBL Scholastic play.
Anthony, who began his high school career at Queens (N.Y.) Christ The King High School before transferring to Long Island Lutheran during the middle of his sophomore year, has also shone in AAU play. Playing for the Nike EYBL 17U circuit team Team Melo, co-founded by his father in 2005, Anthony was averaging 19.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 27.8 minutes per game through May 27.
“(Anthony) is wired to score the ball,” Tipton wrote. “And, year over year, his game has continued on an upward trend. Standing 6-4/6-5, he has a good frame with nice length. Good positional size. Offensively, Anthony has good touch with a solid base in his jump shot. He is comfortable off the bounce or the catch. He is starting to show comfort as a go-to type scorer.”
Anthony’s scoring prowess has piqued the interest of Diebler and Ohio State, and that feeling seems to be mutual with the New York hooper. He told On3’s Joe Tipton on June 3 that he is “eyeing” an official visit to Ohio State in September, one of three visits to high-profile schools he intends to take that month, also including Auburn and Indiana, who are coached by Mike Woodson, Carmelo Anthony’s former head coach with the New York Knicks.
In addition to Auburn, Indiana and Ohio State, Kiyan Anthony currently holds offers from other Power Six schools such as Illinois, Maryland Michigan, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Syracuse — Carmelo Anthony’s alma mater which he won a national title with in 2003 — and West Virginia, among others.
The Buckeyes’ pursuit of Anthony continues an aggressive approach by Diebler and his program when it comes to the 2025 recruiting class. The first-year coach has continued to pursue top 2025 Ohio prospects already offered by former Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann, such as Cleveland Richmond Heights four-star shooting guard Dorian Jones (6-4, 160) and Hudson (Ohio) Western Reserve Academy five-star power forward Niko Bundalo (6-11, 195), while he has also gone big-name hunting, keeping tabs with Huntington (Wva.) Prep five-star shooting guard Darryn Peterson (6-5, 195) and Los Angeles Sierra Canyon four-star shooting guard Bryce James (6-4, 180), the son of four-time NBA champion LeBron James.
