Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Guard Melvin Council Jr. has signed a financial aid agreement to play basketball at Kansas for the 2025-26 season, KU head coach Bill Self announced today. Council will have one season of eligibility at KU and is transferring from St. Bonaventure.
"We're very excited to announce Melvin Council Jr. has signed," Self said. "He's a 6-4, long, rangy guard that can play with the ball and without the ball. Melvin will remind our fans physically and athletically of Tyshawn Taylor. He's a superior athlete who can score the ball and has the potential to be one of the more elite defenders that we've had in recent memory. He's been very well drilled and well coached at Monroe (College), Wagner (College) and Saint Bonaventure. We could not be more excited to have him in the fold."
A NABC All-District and All-Atlantic 10 Third Team selection in 2024-25, Council averaged 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game during his senior season at St. Bonaventure. The 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, Rochester, New York, native led the A-10 in steals with 72 and scored in double figures in 29 games, including all A-10 league contests. Council had four games of 20 or more points, including a season-high 24 points at Fordham on Jan. 4, 2025.
Council played his junior season at Wagner College in Staten Island, New York, where he earned All-Northeast Conference First Team honors, averaging 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in 2023-24. He also led the Seahawks to the 2024 NEC Tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament in earning all-tourney honors. Wagner defeated Howard, 54-47, in the 2024 NCAA Tournament First Four in Dayton, Ohio, before falling to North Carolina, 90-62, in the round of 64 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Prior to Wagner, Council was a two-time NJCAA Division I All-America at Monroe College in 2022 and 2023. In 2022-23, Council led Monroe College averaging 18.7 points, 4.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game and he also averaged 5.6 rebounds per contest. Council was also named to the 2023 NJCAA Division I Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team, where he averaged 21.0 points, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds in two games. As a freshman, Council averaged 23.8 points and 7.4 rebounds at Monroe College. Council ended his Monroe College career as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,400 points. Monroe College is located in New Rochelle, New York. Council played high school basketball at University Prep in Rochester, New York, where he averaged 26.4 points per game his senior season in 2019-20.
Council is Kansas' third transfer signee, along with guards Tre White from Illinois and Jayden Dawson from Loyola-Chicago.