Kansas Commit Sends Strong Message After Transferring to Big 12 Powerhouse

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Apr 16, 2025 10:29 PM ET

The Kansas Jayhawks endured a tough 2024-25 season, culminating in a first-round exit from the NCAA Tournament.

Following that disappointment, head coach Bill Self saw a significant portion of his roster depart—either due to expired eligibility or through the transfer portal.

Since then, Coach Self has been working to rebuild the team and bolster the roster for the 2025–2026 season. The Jayhawks are aiming to return to the top of the Big 12 Conference and compete for a top seed—something they fell short of last year.

On Wednesday, the Jayhawks received some big news from the transfer portal.

Melvin Council Jr. took to his official Instagram account posted a picture of his donning his new Kansas uniform "Long as I put on, the family be fine, gotta thank GOD I'm blessed."

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A post shared by @melvincounciljr

The Rochester, New York, native will be joining his 4th program in as many years. During the 2023–2024 season, he started 27 games for Wagner, averaging 14.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Last season, Council Jr. started all 34 games at St. Bonaventure, where he averaged 14.6 points per game. Before that, he was at Monroe College, where he was a NJCAA Division I First Team All-American selection.

Council Jr. played high school basketball at University Prep in Rochester. In 2020, he led the team to a Class AA title, scoring 25 points in the championship game.

The Kansas Jayhawks roster now features the top recruit in the country, Darryn Peterson, along with key additions such as Jayden Dawson, Tre White, and, most recently, Melvin Council from the portal. Kansas also received a boost when Flory Bidunga announced his return to Lawrence.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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