Overview
Melvin Council Jr. dropped 26.4 points a game as a senior at University Prep in Rochester, New York, and drove his squad to a Section V Class AA title in 2020. At Monroe College he earned NJCAA Division I All-America honors in back-to-back seasons and left as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,400 points. He moved to Wagner and earned All-Northeast Conference First Team honors while leading the Seahawks to the 2024 NEC Tournament title and the program’s first NCAA Tournament win, a First Four upset of Howard. A year at St. Bonaventure followed, where he led the Atlantic 10 in steals with 72 and made the All-Atlantic 10 Third Team. Then came Kansas. Council started all 35 games for the Jayhawks and averaged 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 34.9 minutes per game on 39.2%/30.8%/77.5% shooting. He led KU in assists, captured 2026 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, and added All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and Big 12 All-Newcomer Team honors.
Analysis
Council sees the floor a beat ahead of everyone else, and he took care of the rock while running the offense at a rate few lead guards match. He’s a pest on defense too, piling up 153 steals across his college career and using length and anticipation to jump passing lanes to start transition offense. Council plays bigger than his wiry frame suggests, crashing the glass from the backcourt and absorbing contact on his way to the basket. His first step is quick. The jumper is the next step. He’s more dangerous attacking off the bounce right now, and there’s room to grow as a pull-up threat from the perimeter.
Projection
Council projects as a pass-first combo guard who can defend multiple spots and push the pace in transition. His feel for the game, his defensive motor, and his command of the offense give him a path to a rotation playmaking role at the next level. He competed at the 2026 NBA G League Combine and answered questions about his game against pro-level talent. NBA comparisons to the guard can be made to players like Delon Wright, De’Anthony Melton and George Hill. Council is a battle-tested guard who improved every time he climbed a level of competition.
— Profile by RotoWire.com