KU’s Melvin Council Jr. acknowledges being ‘nervous’ heading into Senior Day
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas will honor six seniors after Saturday’s regular-season finale at Allen Fieldhouse.
- Council to start, speak last, and likely guard P.J. Haggerty if he plays.
- Coach Bill Self praises KU’s Senior Day ritual and the seniors’ lasting contributions.
Per tradition, the Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team’s six seniors will speak to the fans at the conclusion of Saturday’s regular-season finale at Allen Fieldhouse.
It’s a safe bet that fan favorite Melvin Council Jr. will be the last of the group — Council, Tre White, Wilder Evers, Justin Cross, Jayden Dawson and Gee Ngala — to be handed the microphone. It’s expected he’ll entertain the crowd after a 1 p.m. showdown against Kansas State, a team KU defeated 86-62 on Jan. 24 in Manhattan.
Council, who will turn 24 on April 23, hopes his words of wisdom resonate with 15,300 spectators.
“You guys probably don’t know this, but I had a stutter problem when I was young,” Council said, “and I’m nervous. I know I might stutter tomorrow. I don’t know, but I know that I’m just ready.”
The 6-foot-4 transfer from St. Bonaventure spoke Friday at a news conference held in advance of the Sunflower Showdown.
“I’m going to kiss the floor and DP (Darryn Peterson) says he’s not going to talk to me if I do it,” Council added jokingly of freshman Peterson, a one-and-done teammate who is not slated to give a postgame speech — despite it assuredly being his last college home game.
“Just letting you all know that’s definitely going to be my goal tomorrow,” Council said. “Kiss the middle of the Jayhawk and I can’t wait.”
KU coach Bill Self said Council, who has averaged 34.7 minutes per game in 30 contests for KU (21-9, 11-6 Big 12), will be joined in the starting lineup by regular starter White, plus Dawson, Cross and Evers. Self said Ngala will come off the bench, presumably early in the game.
Council, whose mom and grandmother are expected to be in the fieldhouse Saturday, said his one season at KU has been “awesome. It’s been like a lifelong journey of mine to play here, but just all the different people I’ve met, all the relationships while I’ve been here, it’ll be something that’s impacted me for my whole life, and I’m just super grateful that I got this opportunity.”
Council was asked if after he expected to have this type of impact after signing to play for the Jayhawks. The students bark whenever Council touches the ball, in observance of his motto: “If you’re not a dog, you are dog food.”
“I will say that my smile was going to go a long way, but not the impact I’ve had on this place, not at all,” Council said.
Council said he would be the player in the starting lineup to open defensively on KSU’s leading scorer P.J. Haggerty, if Haggerty is able to play. He missed the Wildcat’s last contest because of injury.
“It’s going to be a team thing, but yes, I’m going to start off on him,” Council said.
Reminded KSU (12-18, 3-14) likely will enter with “nothing to lose,” Council said: “Yeah, and we’ve got nothing to lose. Well we’ve got something to lose and that’s a double bye in the Big 12 tournament. So they are going to come ready to play and we’re going to come ready to play, too.”
Council actually has been hoping to play one more season of college basketball at KU.
That would only happen if the decisions in a court case or two rule in favor of college athletes who went to junior college and are now seeking an extra year of eligibility. Council played two years at a junior college and three at the mid-major/major level.
“Wherever basketball takes me, the pros, overseas, G-League (or if I) get another year,” Council said of his future. “Who knows? But I’ll see what God has planned for me, and what’s the best outcome for me.”
The immediate future consists of Senior Day. KU coach Self said he is a fan of the way the seniors are sent out — by starting the game and giving postgame speeches.
“It’s second to none,” Self said. “I think it’s important as things move forward to not totally lose sight of some things that actually may not appear to mean as much in real-time. But looking back for these kids, it’ll be something that they never forget. I think it’s important that these guys get recognized for their efforts and contributions in a way in which Kansas does it, and a lot of people do it.
“I mean, you still have senior days that are terrific across America. I don’t know that many have had as many senior days that have probably been as emotional as what we’ve had here. I don’t see that being tomorrow. But that shouldn’t take away from (the fact that) these kids deserve to be recognized.”
