When Melvin Council Jr. first joined the Jayhawks, no one could have anticipated the impact that the former Wagner and St. Bonaventure player would end up having. But it is easy to forget that Council was not an immediate superstar.
Yes, his energy was always there, and he quickly adopted the “Dawg” mentality that drives his persona, but the stats took some time to gel into his game and truly begin to show the impact that Council had on the court.
Since his 36-point outing in Kansas’ 77-76 overtime win over the NC State Wolfpack in what feels like a millennium ago in mid-December, there has only been one game where the senior did not notch 10+ points, and since his breakout performance, Council has averaged five assists per game.
While Council is now one of the most consistent players on the team, things were not always like that.
An on-and-off start to the season
When Darryn Peterson missed out against the No. 5 UConn Huskies, and the Huskies ground out a 61-56 win over the Jayhawks, it was simply a matter of falling short at the very end. Through the final 6:31, points came at a premium, and the Jayhawks fell on the wrong end of an 11-7 Huskie run, which narrowly pushed Dan Hurley’s squad past the Jayhawks.
At that point, the consensus was that if Peterson was available, there would be no doubt that his ability would push the Jayhawks past the six-time national champions. Yet, following Kansas’ recent upset 82-78 win over the No. 1 Arizona Wildcats, which took place over two months after Kansas fell to the Huskies, Council reflected on the UConn loss earlier in the season.
“I was just worried about the UConn game. I feel like it was the same atmosphere, and I feel like I let my teammates down against UConn, because I could have won us that game. And I was just thinking about the UConn game the whole time. ‘I gotta be more aggressive,’ and that's what I did.”
Against the Huskies, Council went for 12 points on 4-13 from the field, along with two rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
However, following Monday’s upset, head coach Bill Self funnily called Council out on his previous statement.
“I guarantee you that just came in his head. He hadn't thought about that [UConn loss]. But the one thing about it, there were some similarities to the UConn game, no DP [Darryn Peterson], having to bow your neck and play and make some plays late, but he played pretty good [tonight].
Whether or not Council truly does regret the loss to the Huskies, there is no debate that the guard is now a much-improved player. Now the New York native attacks the rim with no fear, while showing lightning pace, and of course, is a pest on the defensive end, sticking to his defenders like glue when the game needs him most, and his most recent stat line shows that.
You are right, you will not find many people in the country who are thrilled with a 6-25 mark from the field, but Council added six rebounds and six assists to go with his crucial 11 points during the final 11:50, which pushed the Jayhawks over the line, a confidence the dynamic guard would not have had earlier this season.
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