Melvin Council Jr.’s Career Night Fuels Kansas Overtime Thriller
Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. delivered a performance for the ages on Saturday, transforming from a struggling shooter into a scoring phenom in the Jayhawks’ thrilling 77-76 overtime victory against North Carolina State. Entering the contest with a dismal 5-of-27 (18.5%) shooting percentage from beyond the arc through KU’s first 10 games, Council erupted for a career-high 36 points, including a remarkable nine three-pointers. This outburst was the second-most threes ever made by a Kansas player in a single game and the most points scored by a Jayhawk since Jalen Wilson’s 38-point effort against Kansas State on January 17, 2023.
The offensive explosion was particularly noteworthy given North Carolina State’s defensive game plan, which, according to KU coach Bill Self, dared Council to shoot. “We had one guy that was probably the best performer I think that I’ve had on the road in my 23 years at Kansas,” Self remarked about Council’s performance. While Council’s 36 points fell just shy of Andrew Wiggins’ 41-point outing against West Virginia in 2014 – the most by a KU player in the Self era – his nine three-pointers were surpassed at Kansas only by Terry Brown, who hit 11 against the same opponent, N.C. State, back on January 5, 1991.
Self lauded Council’s resilience and execution. “He was unbelievable and made hard shots. They dared him to shoot. And then when he made a couple, he started looking at a big basket, and then he was unbelievable,” Self explained. “If you look at his entire stat line, nine 3s, seven rebounds, four assists, no turnovers, play 43 minutes. That’s a pretty good stat line. He put us on his back tonight.”
Council’s 36-point performance also etched his name in the Kansas record books as the first Jayhawk to score at least 30 points in a true road game in their inaugural season at KU since Dedric Lawson achieved the feat at Arizona State on December 22, 2018. His scoring total marked KU’s first 30-point game since Hunter Dickinson’s 33-point performance against Arizona on March 8, 2025.
A “Dog” on the Court
The significance of Council’s performance was not lost on his teammates. Sophomore guard Jamari McDowell, who played a crucial role down the stretch and throughout overtime, expressed his astonishment. “Melvin Council … holy ‘granoli,'” McDowell exclaimed with a smile. He and fellow sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson stepped up significantly, especially as freshman Darryn Peterson was forced to leave the game with two minutes remaining due to hamstring tightness that has reportedly been a recurring issue.
McDowell elaborated on Council’s impact: “I don’t even know how to explain him. That’s a dog. We needed him. People shouldn’t do what they did. Don’t go under (and leave him wide open).”
Embracing Confidence Amidst Struggles
Despite his previous shooting struggles, Council entered the game with a determined mindset. He attributed his confidence to the work he puts in during practice, where his scout team often mirrors the open looks he received against the Wolfpack. “My scout team … they do that to me in practice,” Council said. “My guys and coaches are just telling me just be confident in your shot and just take it.”
Council also revealed he had sought advice from former acclaimed KU three-point shooter Mario Chalmers. “I talked to Mario Chalmers a couple weeks ago, and he was telling me to be aggressive, shoot the ball. So that’s what I just tried to do today,” Council shared.
He also drew inspiration from his “best friend, Jalen Pickett from the Denver Nuggets.” “He was telling me, ‘Keep shooting,'” Council recounted. “To me, I’ll be having (my) confidence (back) when I see one of them going in. Then I stop shooting. But it’s life. I’m a human being. You’re going to make some and you are going to miss some.”
Clutch Play and a Nail-Biting Finish
Council’s statistical line for the game was impressive: 13-of-27 shooting from the field, including a blistering 9-of-15 from three-point range, culminating in his 36 points. He single-handedly accounted for Kansas’ last 13 points in regulation and later provided a crucial assist, feeding Flory Bidunga for a go-ahead dunk with just 51.9 seconds left in overtime.
When asked if he felt the need to take over late in the game with Peterson sidelined, Council focused on the team’s objective. “Got to get D.P back,” Council stated. “That’s it. It’s the last (non)conference away game. We got two more games left (Towson Tuesday and Davidson on Dec. 22 at home), so we’re just trying to go in Christmas break 10-3. That’s it.”
The game’s dramatic conclusion saw Council miss the front end of two crucial one-and-one free throw opportunities with under 20 seconds remaining and KU clinging to a one-point lead. “Oh, I wasn’t tired. I don’t know why I missed those free throws. I’ve got to do better, but I can play another 40 right now,” he said with a smile, acknowledging the missed chances.
These misses gave N.C. State one final possession to secure the win. After a timeout to advance the ball, the Wolfpack’s final shot, a long three-pointer from Williams, fell short as time expired, sealing the victory for Kansas. Council expressed his relief: “Hopefully it doesn’t go in,” he said of his thoughts as Williams launched the potential game-winner. He also commended the defensive efforts of Paul Mbiya and Elmarko Jackson on the final play.
Coach Self acknowledged that while the defense on the final possession wasn’t perfect, it was effective enough. “I just put Paul in to try to make it hard to throw a lob pass and we didn’t switch. We don’t switch out of bounds. We’ll switch once it gets in bounds, but we don’t switch out of bounds. And I don’t know that we guarded it well, but we guarded it good enough that they had to take an off-balance long one.”
The game was undoubtedly a showcase for Council’s extraordinary offensive talent, a performance that was unexpectedly facilitated by N.C. State’s defensive strategy. “I didn’t anticipate it,” Self admitted regarding the Wolfpack’s approach. “I think it’s pretty sound. I don’t think anybody would say it’s not a sound philosophy based on his numbers up until this point. You look at his stroke, his stroke isn’t broke. He’s got a good-looking stroke. It just hadn’t gone in.”
Self concluded by reflecting on the psychology of shooters: “And you know, the thing about it is, with shooters, even though he didn’t shoot it well the first half, shooters don’t remember their misses. They only remember their makes. And so in his mind, he’s thinking he’s looking at a big basket, which was probably good for us, really good for us.”