The Syracuse University men's basketball team dropped its sixth contest in the last seven games on Saturday afternoon, losing by 13 against No. 18 Virginia (72-59).

The Orange are now just 13-11 and 4-7 inside Atlantic Coast Conference play. Superstar forward Donnie Freeman had just five points, the team had just nine assists and freshman Kiyan Anthony didn't play at all - a talking point that consumed the fanbase and media after the game.

It was the first time this season that Anthony received no minutes in a game. He had 10 points in Monday's loss against North Carolina and has shown the ability to make plays when given an opportunity.

On Monday, Syracuse legend Carmelo Anthony went viral for a negative reaction he had to SU basketball on Instagram. With regards to Kiyan's benching, the elder Anthony was more positive and supportive.

"He'll be good! THEY SAY it's part of the journey. A little adversity don't hurt."

Carmelo has been a fixture around the Syracuse program this season, appearing at many games and helping Kiyan with his skills before those games.

He's one of the biggest supporters of the Orange hoops program so his frustration on Monday was certainly notable.

Now 41 years old, Anthony spent just one season himself at Syracuse, winning the title in 2002-2003 by beating the Kansas Jayhawks in the NCAA title game. He started all 35 games that season, scoring 22.2 points per game and pulling down 10 rebounds. One of the best pure scorers of his generation, Anthony also had an accomplished NBA career that spanned 19 seasons with the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder. A 10-time All-Star, he was also a six-time All-NBA selection.

He also led Team USA to Olympic Gold Medals in 2008, 2012 and 2016, becoming one of the most decorated international players in USA Basketball history. He also got a bronze medal in Athens in 2004.

He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last September.

A top recruit before the season, he's appeared in 23 of 24 possible games, scoring 8.9 ppg and averaging 1.6 rebounds. A talented scorer who knows what he's doing on the floor, he has struggled to shoot the ball, hitting just 23.3 percent of his three-point shots and 61.2 percent of his free-throws.

At 6-5, Kiyan is also quite thin, making him susceptible on the defensive end.

SU is back home on Feb. 11 at the JMA Wireless Dome against Cal. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will air on ESPNU. Our own Tom Goslowski will be there with live coverage. You can follow him on social media @TomGozz and you can keep the conversation going all the time by joining our free Syracuse community.

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