“I want to go in there and create my own name.” Sitting by Syracuse’s greatest legend and his father, Kiyan Anthony would declare his decision for the future. Melo beamed with pride, tears threatened to flood, and the Orange nation cheered in unison. It seemed like the first steps towards the history that awaits to be written— replicating the glory only his father ever managed. Quite a tale that would make. But Syracuse’s run over the last few years has ensured that’s not gonna transpire easy. Or should the critics hold their horses for what the program has up its sleeve?

2024-25 has been a season Syracuse fans would like to forget. At 12-17 overall and 6-12 in the ACC, the program is in the midst of a down season. And one of the worst the team has had in decades, rather, since 1969. Clearly, the fans have taken notice. The Carrier Dome has witnessed smaller and smaller crowds, with attendance figures down by over 5,000 from just ten seasons ago. It’s a tough reality to process, and for head coach Adrian Autry, there’s no escaping.

One of the winningest programs in the nation, the Orange barely received an invitation to the ACC Tournament this season. Receiving end of the heat? Autry. The head coach’s continuation for a third year has been met with doubts, and Jackson Holzer — the host of the Locked on Syracuse podcast — is one of them.

“This cannot be happening. I mean, Syracuse basketball is actually bringing back Adrian Autry after this disaster. There’s no way! I mean, come on now,” he exclaimed on the recent episode.

Syracuse basketball is in uncharted waters. The national powerhouse built by Jim Boeheim has gotten lost in today’s hyper-competitive ACC. Can Autry right the ship, or is it time to move on?

For now, Syracuse is looking for its incoming freshman class to help get things back on track. Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White are both highly coveted recruits expected to play major roles next year for Syracuse. But the program hasn’t signed back-to-back five-star recruits since 2007-08, has lagged with NIL funds, and portal efforts haven’t all been successful. So, while acknowledging the talent of the recruits, Holzer isn’t ready to buy too much stock in Syracuse yet.

“Banking your success on two top-30-ish freshmen this upcoming season is not a good idea; that is a recipe for disaster,” he said. Rutgers makes for a good example with 2 top freshmen, both averaging around 19 points. Yet, the team ranks 12th in Big 12 and stands 14-16 overall. The odds are stacked up, no doubt for Kiyan and Syracuse next season, but the 17-year-old is holding out hopes and so are coach Autry, and the program.

Kiyan Anthony and Syracuse aren’t giving up

One of the reasons Kiyan Anthony chose to go Orange was coach Adrian Autry and his staff. “Ultimately, it came down to my relationship with the staff,” he told ESPN, admiting their efforts made him believe he was part of a family. “I’m going to do everything Coach Autry needs me to do. We talk a lot, especially late at night, about how we can make Syracuse basketball great.” 

The LuHi Crusader will be joining White, another 4-star top-29 recruit (at the time of commitment) alongside 3-stars Luke Fennell and Aaron Womack to make the Orange’s top-10 2025 recruiting class. But the head coach & co. know it isn’t just about the freshman class. They have got to bring in upperclassmen to replace those with exhausted eligibility and ensure the pieces fit the puzzle. Now we know Syracuse struggled with NIL, but the as we said, the program is making efforts.

SU Athletics recently announced a campaign to raise $50 million over the next 3 years. $20 million of that is reported to be shared among the student athletes in the coming season as a part of revenue sharing. provided that it is judge approved. So a few experts are placing their faith in Autry to sign a good roster. May be the dynamic works and it isn’t all bad an idea to have Autry back for another season. We only await history to unfold.