Ohio State remains in striking distance for one of the more notable 2025 recruits, as Glen Head (N.Y.) Long Island Lutheran four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony (6-5, 185), the son of NBA legend and 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony, placed Ohio State in his list of top six schools on Thursday.
Anthony, the nation’s 31st-best prospect, fifth-best shooting guard and No. 1 player in New York in the 2025 class, included the Buckeyes along with Auburn, Florida State, Rutgers, Syracuse — Carmelo Anthony’s alma mater — and USC.
Name recognition aside, Anthony has emerged as one of the top offensive talents in his class. He ranked 11th in scoring in this year’s Nike EYBL, or Elite Youth Basketball League, averaging 19.6 points per game along with 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest for Team Melo, an AAU team sponsored by his father. He has significantly exceeded those numbers this summer, averaging 28.5 points per game at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in June and the 21.8 points per game in eight games at the PIT in July.
“(Anthony) is wired to score the ball,” On3’s Joe Tipton wrote earlier this summer. “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 improved offensive game has impressed those within the world of college basketball this summer, including Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler, who offered the New York native on June 7 and was seen watching the shooting guard play during his final game of the second evaluation period in July.
The feeling appears to be mutual between Anthony and Ohio State. The four-star — who attends the same high school as former Ohio State center Zed Key — told Zagsblog earlier this summer that he is interested in visiting Columbus for an Ohio State football game this season, and has liked the message that Diebler has relayed to him about his potential fit with the Buckeyes.
“I like coach Diebler,” Anthony said. “He’s a newer coach, but he definitely knows what he’s doing. I feel like when I talk to him, he definitely has a blueprint and a plan of what guys he wants to come. He’s very strict on who he recruits and stuff like that. Him recruiting me, that’s really a blessing. I’ve watched them this past year. I know a few guys that go to Ohio State, so just watching them, seeing how hard they play. And they get guys to the next level.”
Despite the gushing words for Diebler, the Buckeyes will have to work hard to gain a pledge from Anthony over Syracuse, who is the presumptive favorite in this recruitment because of Anthony’s father, who won a championship with the Orange in 2002 as a true freshman before declaring for the NBA draft and beginning a Hall of Fame 19-year NBA career.
Kiyan Anthony reportedly has a close relationship with incoming Syracuse freshman shooting guard Elijah Moore and visited the Orange’s campus with his parents last fall.
“Obviously my dad went there 20-something years ago, so I just like the atmosphere, I like the family environment,” Anthony told ZagsBlog. “The coaches, I feel like they’re recruiting me for myself, and not just because of my father. That’s what I like. They’re rebuilding and they’re looking to get a winning team. I feel like I can help them do that if I were to go there.”
Anthony has yet to decide on when he will make his commitment, but he does plan on visiting each of his final six schools before making a decision.
Ohio State has just one 2025 commit thus far in Cleveland Richmond Heights four-star shooting guard Dorian Jones (6-4, 160), who pledged to the program on July 1 over Michigan, Missouri and Rutgers.
