Count former KU point guard Melvin Council Jr. in the camp with Tre White and dozens of other athletes, who recently regained their eligibility through a temporary injunction against the NCAA.
Council's was granted in Monroe Count, New York near his hometown of Rochester, and it makes the former Jayhawk eligible to compete at the college level for the 2026-27 season.
What is not yet clear is where he will do that. But there is plenty of reason to believe that KU is at least firmly in the mix for Council's services just one year after he started 35 games for Bill Self's team in Lawrence, averaging 12.7 points, 5.1 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game.
“Like we were with Tre, we’re happy for Melvin and today’s outcome,” KU coach Bill Self said Tuesday in a statement. “We’ll continue to learn more about his immediate next steps and be in touch with him and his family.”
White, you surely know, received his temporary injunction against the NCAA late last week and KU announced last Friday that he was returning to the Jayhawks for the upcoming season.
If Council were to do the same, it would be a considerable boost for a KU team that had just two returning players from last year's roster — Kohl Rosario and Paul Mbiya.
KU does have the roster room to add both players.
Council and White, who both averaged better than 31 minutes per game at KU last season, were part of the core of the 2025-26 KU men's team and they were the outright leaders and most important players during the portion of the season when Darryn Peterson was sidelined.
Beyond that, Council was a massive fan favorite, with Allen Fieldhouse being filled with barking sounds and people selling and wearing T-Shirts around town that said "Beware of the Dawg" to honor his dog mentality.
Self said that few players in his 20+ seasons at KU had made the type of impact on the program and the fan base that Council did in his one season and a huge part of that came from his energy, his smile, his personality and how hard he played.
Becoming eligible in September through their temporary injunctions does not guarantee anything for either player or for Kansas as the legal proceedings surrounding the NCAA's new 5-in-5 elgiblity model remain ongoing across the country.
But if Council returns and both he and White are able to play for the Jayhawks this season, a roster that has been viewed by most college basketball analysts as a Top 15-25 team would get a substantial boost of both talent and experience and likely be in the conversation as a Final Four contender.
The 2026-27 Jayhawks open the season two weeks from Friday with the exhibition opener against Pittsburg State, which, for the first time, will be played as the featured event for Late Night in the Phog at Allen Fieldhouse.
KU also will host exhibitions against Louisville (Oct. 21) and Duke (Oct. 25) before opening the regular season against Fordham on Monday, Nov. 2.
— For tickets to all KU athletic events, visit kuathletics.com
