Melvin Council Jr. is the embodiment of all that makes this new era of college basketball great. While at Monroe College in the junior college ranks, Council shone with an average of 18.7 points per game, 4.1 assists, 2.4 steals, and 5.6 rebounds over the course of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Council then made the step up to Wagner, where he transitioned without a hitch, averaging 15.3 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists as the Seahawks finished with a 17-16 record, earned an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and ultimately moved on to St. Bonaventure.
Last season for the Bonnies, Council continued his stat-sheet stuffing with 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 steals, and 2.1 steals. St. Bonaventure finished with a 22-12 record and a bid in the NIT Tournament.
For Council’s senior season, he has quickly flown up the ranks of what makes fans love you. Council is tenacious, speedy, and effortlessly moves around the rim, while also being able to create electric performances, including a 36-point performance against NC State in a massive overtime 77-76 win last week.
“You guys are picking up on exactly what he hoped that you guys would,” quoted Kansas head coach Bill Self, after Kansas took down the Towson Tigers in a 73-49 win last Tuesday.
“I think he plays hard in everything, but, you know, I saw him back out of a charge down there, so it's not like it's 100% on all the time. But I think he's a really good player, and I think he's having fun with it…I think he can graduate from a Shih Tzu to at least a bulldog here in the next couple of weeks.”
Against the Tigers, Council notched 15 points on strong 6-13 shooting, five rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one turnover.
This season, Council is averaging a strong 13.2 points per game, .9 steals, 4.8 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in about 34 minutes per game.
Of course, Council’s nationwide breakout came in the aforementioned 36 points against the Wolfpack; however, Council has stepped up with 15 points in a 78-66 loss to the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils, 12 points in Kansas’ narrow 61-56 loss to the No. 5 UConn Huskies, and a big 17 points in the Jayhawks’ come-from-behind 81-76 win over the No. 20 Tennessee Volunteers in the third-place match at the Players Era Championship.
Council and Kansas are set to hit the court against the Davidson Wildcats next Monday, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. CT, and streaming available on ESPN+.
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