It took exactly one exhibition game for the Syracuse basketball outrage machine to fire up.
One game. In October. Against UConn.
And somehow, Kiyan Anthony is already getting roasted.
Anthony scored just six points on 2-of-11 shooting as Syracuse fell 72-52 to the Huskies in Gerry McNamara’s preseason debut. It wasn’t pretty. The Orange struggled offensively, couldn’t find a consistent rhythm and looked like a team still figuring out how to play together.
Because that’s exactly what they are.
But that hasn’t stopped the social media mob from turning Anthony’s disappointing shooting night into some grand declaration about his ability.
Can we be serious for a moment?
UConn was the national runner-up last season. Dan Hurley has built one of the premier programs in college basketball. McNamara is coaching his first exhibition with the Orange, trying to establish an entirely new identity.
And we’re supposed to draw sweeping conclusions about Anthony from 11 shots?
Please.
Here’s some context the critics seem to be missing.
Syracuse shot just 30.6% from the field and 4-of-19 from three-point range. The Orange committed 16 turnovers, which UConn converted into 19 points. The Huskies also dominated second-chance scoring, 18-7.
This wasn’t one player dragging down an otherwise humming offense. It was an entire team struggling to execute.
And Syracuse actually had its moments.
Anthony’s driving layup tied the game at 26 with 1:40 remaining in the first half. The Orange trailed just 31-26 at halftime before UConn eventually pulled away.
Sadiq White was the clear bright spot, scoring 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Luke Wilson grabbed nine rebounds. But the collective offensive performance left plenty to be desired.
McNamara described the first half as a “rock fight” and made clear this was nowhere close to what he expects Syracuse to look like offensively.
That’s the real story.
G-Mac wasn’t happy with the team. Not just Kiyan Anthony.
There were awkward possessions, missed opportunities and plenty of reminders that October basketball rarely resembles the finished product.
That’s why exhibition games exist.
To identify problems. To experiment. To build chemistry. To discover what works before the results actually count.
Anthony had a poor shooting performance. Nobody needs to pretend 2-of-11 is great.
But there’s an enormous difference between acknowledging a bad night and using it to pronounce judgment on a young player’s future.
And let’s be clear: Kiyan Anthony is going to attract more attention than almost anyone else on this roster.
His famous last name guarantees it. Every missed jumper becomes a talking point. Every difficult game becomes an opportunity for someone online to declare him overrated.
That’s the reality of being Carmelo Anthony’s son.
But Kiyan isn’t responsible for carrying Syracuse basketball back to national relevance by himself. And he certainly isn’t responsible for doing it in the first exhibition game of the Gerry McNamara era.
There will be legitimate questions about this roster as the season develops. Can Syracuse score consistently? Who creates offense when possessions break down? Can McNamara get the pieces working together quickly enough to compete in the ACC?
Those are worthwhile conversations.
Ripping Anthony because he missed nine shots in an October exhibition isn’t.
Syracuse basketball has plenty to prove. Kiyan Anthony has plenty to prove. But anyone pretending this one game tells us what either will become is looking for outrage, not answers.
