Why Didn't Kiyan Anthony Play for Syracuse vs. UVA? Latest on DNP for Carmelo's Son

Kiyan Anthony, the son of Syracuse University and NBA legend Carmelo Anthony, did not play during Syracuse's 72-59 loss to the No. 18 Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday.

It marked the first time all season that Anthony did not see action in a game for the Orange, and per Syracuse.com's Justin Girshon, SU head coach Adrian Autry said it was his decision to sit Anthony, and that it wasn't due to an injury.

"No injury concerns. It was just my decision," Autry said after the game, per ESPN's Myron Medcalf. "This is a physical team, experienced team. It was just my decision. Nothing else."

The 18-year-old Anthony was among the most highly touted prospects in his recruiting class, as 247Sports rated him a 4-star recruit and the No. 32 overall player in the class of 2025.

A freshman from New York City, Anthony has appeared in 23 games this season, starting two of them. He is sixth on the team in scoring with 8.9 points per game to go along with 1.6 rebounds and 1.0 assist.

Anthony has not been particularly efficient, shooting 41.6 percent from the field and 23.3 percent from three-point range.

After Syracuse's 87-77 loss to North Carolina earlier this week, Carmelo seemed to express his displeasure, as he responded to an Instagram reel of the game by writing, "SMFH."

Carmelo is basketball royalty at Syracuse despite playing just one season at the school.

In 2003, Melo led the Orange to their first and only NCAA tournament national title in program history. He was named Big East Freshman of the Year and NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, and his No. 15 jersey number was later retired by Syracuse.

The elder Anthony went on to have a hugely successful NBA career, playing 19 NBA seasons with the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers from 2003 to 2022.

He was a 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection and one-time NBA scoring champion, and Melo ranks 11th in NBA history with 28,289 career points.

On top of that, Carmelo won three gold medals and one bronze medal as a member of the United States Olympic team, which contributed heavily to him getting inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last year.

While Syracuse was once a perennial national title contender, that has not been the case in recent years.

The Orange entered this season having missed the NCAA tournament in four consecutive seasons, and they haven't made it further than the Sweet 16 since 2016.

There was hope that the arrival of a top recruit like Anthony would help sway things back in the right direction, but Cuse continues to struggle to the tune of a 13-11 record this season.

With Saturday's defeat, the Orange have dropped six of their past seven games, and it is clear that Autry is searching for any combination to get them back on track.