Kiyan Anthony’s tenure at Syracuse hit a new low Saturday.
Anthony, who has had a roller-coaster freshman campaign for the Orange, was benched for the first time this season.
Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry made clear that it was his call to sit the 18-year-old Anthony for his team’s 72-59 loss to No. 18 Virginia.
“No injury concerns. It was just my decision,” Autry told reporters of Anthony’s benching after the game, per ESPN. “This is a physical team, experienced team. It was just my decision. Nothing else.”
This comes as Anthony’s father, Syracuse legend and Basketball Hall of Fame forward Carmelo Anthony, has been vocal about the Orange’s struggles this season.
The former Knick great commented “SMFH” on Syracuse basketball’s Instagram page under a post showing their highlights from their 87-77 loss to No. 14 North Carolina on Monday.
Carmelo is also a booster for Syracuse and spent millions to help the school build its men’s and women’s basketball practice facility, which is named in his honor.
Autry, however, insisted that Kiyan’s benching was strictly tied to what he thought was best for his team.
“It’s no narratives about any of this stuff,” he said. “I just made the decision. That was just my decision that I made today.”
Kiyan has had an up-and-down season for the Orange so far, averaging 8.9 points while shooting 41.6 percent from the field in 19.3 minutes through 23 games.
ESPN analysts Terrence Oglesby and Seth Greenberg told The Post earlier this week what Kiyan needs to stay the course to help his future NBA potential.
“He’s a very talented player. This is not one of these situations, it’s a superstar’s kid,” Oglesby said. “This is a kid who’s got size, who has ability. He does still have a lot to learn, but everybody who’s 18, 19 years old has a lot to learn.”
“He needs to be patient. Being a legacy is not easy because there’s so much expectation,” Greenberg added. “It’s all in working on the right things and not letting anyone else run your race.”
Following Saturday’s loss to Virginia, Syracuse has now dropped six of its past seven games, holding a 13-11 record, putting them in the bottom half of the ACC standings.
The Orange’s next game is set for Wednesday against fellow ACC opponent California.