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LAWRENCE — Melvin Council Jr. has earned an opportunity to start his professional career in the NBA.
Council, who spent this past season in college as a senior guard with Kansas basketball, has signed as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Pelicans. KU announced the news through a social media post on X. During the 2026 NBA Draft, Darryn Peterson was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the first round by Utah.
Council was named the Big 12 Conference newcomer of the year after transferring in from St. Bonaventure. He also made the Big 12’s all-newcomer team and was named an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection. During his time playing for the Jayhawks, with his personality and energy, he became a fan favorite for KU.
RELATED: KU basketball’s Kevin McCullar Jr. wins NBA title with New York Knicks
Here’s what Council brings to the team:
Council’s enthusiasm and tenacity on the court, in and of itself, will help drive any locker room forward. But his play on the court, after making a jump up to a high-major program, is what sells his potential. He earned a role as a regular starter for the Jayhawks and played more minutes than anyone else on the roster over the course of the season.
Council has shown he can command an offense. KU fans won’t soon forget what he did during this past season on the road against NC State, when he scored 36 points while shooting 9-for-15 from behind the arc. Give him the opportunity to contribute, and he’s shown he can deliver.
While Council had that standout effort against NC State, especially from behind the arc, over the course of the season, he shot just 30.8% on 3s. Maybe he will be able to improve his shot as his career progresses, but if he doesn’t, there’ll be a need to surround him with quality 3-point shooters. He might have led Kansas in assists and steals, but he’ll need to be able to hit shots from behind the arc more consistently.
Council, who also shot 39.2% from the field, also only played one season at the high-major level. Can he show that he can consistently produce against not just that level of competition, but an even more significant one? That’ll be something he’ll have to prove with New Orleans.
Council started all 35 appearances he played for the Jayhawks, and averaged 12.7 points, 5.1 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. He shot 77.5% from the free-throw line, in addition to shooting 39.2% from the field and 30.8% from behind the arc. He averaged 34.8 minutes per game.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Pros, cons: New Orleans adds Kansas basketball's Melvin Council Jr.
Continue reading...
Council, who spent this past season in college as a senior guard with Kansas basketball, has signed as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Pelicans. KU announced the news through a social media post on X. During the 2026 NBA Draft, Darryn Peterson was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the first round by Utah.
Council was named the Big 12 Conference newcomer of the year after transferring in from St. Bonaventure. He also made the Big 12’s all-newcomer team and was named an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection. During his time playing for the Jayhawks, with his personality and energy, he became a fan favorite for KU.
RELATED: KU basketball’s Kevin McCullar Jr. wins NBA title with New York Knicks
Here’s what Council brings to the team:
Pros of New Orleans adding Melvin Council Jr. after 2026 NBA Draft
Council’s enthusiasm and tenacity on the court, in and of itself, will help drive any locker room forward. But his play on the court, after making a jump up to a high-major program, is what sells his potential. He earned a role as a regular starter for the Jayhawks and played more minutes than anyone else on the roster over the course of the season.
Council has shown he can command an offense. KU fans won’t soon forget what he did during this past season on the road against NC State, when he scored 36 points while shooting 9-for-15 from behind the arc. Give him the opportunity to contribute, and he’s shown he can deliver.
Cons of New Orleans adding Melvin Council Jr. after 2026 NBA Draft
While Council had that standout effort against NC State, especially from behind the arc, over the course of the season, he shot just 30.8% on 3s. Maybe he will be able to improve his shot as his career progresses, but if he doesn’t, there’ll be a need to surround him with quality 3-point shooters. He might have led Kansas in assists and steals, but he’ll need to be able to hit shots from behind the arc more consistently.
Council, who also shot 39.2% from the field, also only played one season at the high-major level. Can he show that he can consistently produce against not just that level of competition, but an even more significant one? That’ll be something he’ll have to prove with New Orleans.
Melvin Council Jr.’s college stats for Kansas basketball
Council started all 35 appearances he played for the Jayhawks, and averaged 12.7 points, 5.1 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. He shot 77.5% from the free-throw line, in addition to shooting 39.2% from the field and 30.8% from behind the arc. He averaged 34.8 minutes per game.
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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Pros, cons: New Orleans adds Kansas basketball's Melvin Council Jr.
Continue reading...
