Carmelo Anthony’s son, Kiyan, is close to making his college decision but had been stuck between three schools: Auburn, USC, and Syracuse, for a while. After a series of discussions, it seemingly has come down to just two—Syracuse and USC, as Melo himself revealed a few days ago. However, Kiyan’s appearance on League Ready seems to suggest otherwise.

It seems like Kiyan Anthony has now ditched both Syracuse and USC. Their coaches, to be precise. As Kiyan joined League Ready host Jason Jordan to discuss various topics surrounding NCAA men’s basketball, he was asked which of the three coaches he would want to “kick it with on a Friday night.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Kiyan replied, “Bruce Pearl.” For him, the head coach of Auburn has made a strong impression with his actions and words. “I feel like on Friday night, when it’s time to, you know, have fun at the party, Bruce Pearl is definitely going to be one of the guys,” Kiyan shared.

This choice wasn’t made on a whim. Instead, it was based on phone conversations and meeting the head coach “in person.” But what stood out the most to Kiyan? “His energy.” But considering what his father revealed on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Kimmel recently, that’s a surprising answer.

“It’s down to two… Syracuse and USC. So, we’ll see,” Anthony told Fallon. He didn’t give a reason as to why Auburn was not part of the list anymore. But what is Kiyan looking for in his college destination?

Kiyan Anthony only wants to develop his game

For Kiyan, his decision will be entirely based on two things. “I want to go in right away and see growth, where I can develop my game and just try to win,” he shared during Angel Reese’s podcast show, ‘Unapologetically Angel’. It’s his development and a winning mentality. And to be extra sure about his choices, he has been spending a lot of time with players and coaches.

Even his thoughts about Auburn’s head coach are based on that. In fact, before his recent comments, he was linked with his father’s alma mater, Syracuse. It all started in October after Kiyan shared a couple of pictures posing in his Syracuse jersey with his dad. “Carry the torch? #officialvisit,” he captioned the post.

Yet, his college decision is entirely his own. “That was a fine line that I couldn’t cross due to my ties… gotta let him do his thing,” shared the New York Knicks legend on the show. The wait and anticipation around his collegiate decision are almost over. Melo confirmed that Kiyan will reveal his choice on the next episode of ‘7PM in Brooklyn.’ The decision will be out on Nov. 15—until then, stay tuned!