Kansas’ newest portal addition shares reasons for choosing Jayhawks hoops: a Q&A
Melvin Council Jr., a durable 6-foot-4 combo guard who averaged 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.1 steals in an ironman-like 37.1 minutes per game his junior season at St. Bonaventure, on Wednesday became KU’s third acquisition from the NCAA transfer portal this offseason.
Council — he visited KU and Mississippi State and also listed Georgia and Georgia Tech as finalists — spoke with The Star after announcing for KU on Instagram.
He answered a wide variety of questions:
Q: When did you decide KU was your choice?
A: “When I got there on my visit (Sunday), they gave me a presentation of the past and Kansas history of basketball on the Jumbotron (center videoboard in Allen Fieldhouse). My gut was, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I never had that feeling at any other school from juco to Kansas. My gut feeling was it was the right place to be.”
Q: What impressed you on your visit?
A: “Just hanging around Flory (Bidunga, sophomore forward). Flory is goofy, a funny guy like me. I feel we could click just like that. His personality as a big … some bigs are quiet, some don’t want to talk. He is just like me, but bigger. I feel like we can have so much fun on the court together.”
Q: Could you speak to the motto you’ve used in the past, the one referring to your personality on the court?
A: ‘If you wanna be a dog, you’ve got to be a dog, because if you are not a dog, you are dog food.’
“I started it in the summertime in Rochester (New York, his hometown). I’ve got that mindset, ‘Low major, high major D-I, you’ve still got to step on the court.’”
Q: What do you think of Darryn Peterson (incoming freshman guard)?
A: :He is is very great; I think my whole life playing basketball I never had that guy, (who) when I get tired they can go off. He’s just so nice. I’ve been watching his highlights. I’ve been studying his game. He has that dog in him. I cant wait to play beside him.”
Q: How do feel you played in your one year at St. Bonaventure? (Before that he played a year at Monroe College in 2022-23 and Wagner in 2023-24.)
A: “My year at St. Bonaventure was fun. I will not forget all the things we accomplished in the A-10 (22-12 record, 9-9 in league). Having 10 new players … there’s a great coaching staff there.”
Q: How did KU contact you?
A: “Coach (Jeremy) Case came to my juco at Monroe a long time ago. They were recruiting our big man from Monroe. My coach asked them about me, can I play at KU? They (coaches) said he definitely can play at KU but he’s going to be on the bench. They were telling me my role back then. I’m glad they came back. Now we can do this thing.”
Q: What will you bring to KU?
A: “I can tell you I will bring that toughness, leadership. I just want to win. At the end of the day it’s all about winning. That’s all I want to do.”
Q: What did Bill Self say he wants you to accomplish in your one season at KU?
A: “He wants me to be myself, just lead the team as the leader I am. I am hungry. He expects that out of me. (As a team) we’ve got to be hungry competing in this league. Kansas is a blueblood school. I want to make sure all the guys are on the same page. One thing matters … when March hits.”
Q: Did you grow up in New York? What do people think of you moving to the Midwest?
A: “Upstate New York … They love it right now. They expect nothing but a big opportunity for me. They are happy.”
Q: Coach Self said you are super athletic. Is that a fair description?
A: “Very fair.”
Q: What do you think of KU’s team, how it is shaping up with three portal additions so far?
A: “It’s shaping up to be very good. … Dogs. We got Jayden Dawson that’s my guy from Chicago (Loyola). We’ve got Darryn Peterson, Flory, Tre (White) from Illinois. All around we are going to be very scrappy and hard to beat. I feel we can be the next Houston (Final Four team) or better.”
Q: How happy are you right now?
A: “I am so happy right now. I’m glad the process is over, I can focus on one thing now.”
This story was originally published April 17, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Kansas’ newest portal addition shares reasons for choosing Jayhawks hoops: a Q&A."
