Syracuse men’s basketball: Sadiq White and Kiyan Anthony announce return to Orange

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - JANUARY 21: Sadiq White Jr. #0 of the Syracuse Orange during a game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at the JMA Wireless Dome on January 21, 2026 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Todd F. Michalek/Syracuse Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)

The Syracuse Orange will return their two top freshmen from this year’s squad as both Sadiq White and Kiyan Anthony officially announced that’s they will be staying in Syracuse for the 26-27 season.

We assumed that Kiyan was back because Carmelo had talked about his trust in Gerry McNamara’s plans to develop his son, now it’s been made officially official.

This announcement came a little bit after Sadiq White declared he was staying in Syracuse.

Anthony averaged 8 points and 1.4 rebounds per game last season. His overall shooting numbers weren’t great, but he showed flashes of his scoring potential with 11 games in double-figures.

White averaged 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in his first season and was 7 for 19 from 3. His minutes were inconsistent and his best game was at Wake Forest when he had 12 points and 3 rebounds in 12 minutes.

The duo were the top recruits in the 2025 class and their return will give Orange fans a bit of continuity in the start of the McNamERA. This gives Syracuse a roster of Anthony, White, Noah Lobdell, Gavin Doty, Tasman Goodrick, and Mark Morano Mahmutovič. We’ll keep you posted