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Syracuse coach Adrian Autry said it was his call to bench Kiyan Anthony, who isn't injured and was available to play, for his team's entire 72-59 loss at No. 18 Virginia on Saturday.
It was the first time the freshman didn't play in a game for the Orange this season.
"No injury concerns. It was just my decision," Autry said after the game. "This is a physical team, experienced team. It was just my decision. Nothing else."
The move to bench the freshman came days after Kiyan's father, Syracuse legend Carmelo Anthony, posted "SMFH" on the team's official Instagram page underneath highlights of its loss to North Carolina on Monday. Kiyan scored 10 points in that game.
Anthony, who led the team to the 2003 national title, is one of program's greatest players and also a booster who spent millions to help build the school's men's and women's basketball practice facility, the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center.
Kiyan, who is averaging 8.9 points per game, has had a turbulent season full of highs and lows. He committed to the team in 2024, more than two decades after his father led the team to a win over a favored Kansas squad in the national title game during his freshman season.
Syracuse has lost six of its past seven games as Autry, one of the greatest guards in Syracuse basketball history, has faced hot seat talk during his team's slide.
As for Kiyan, Autry said the freshman's benching wasn't tied to anything beyond what he thought was best for the team against a Top-25 Virginia squad.
"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."
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