A couple weeks ago, Kansas basketball coach Bill Self repeated a comment that he’s said in a few different forms about senior guard Melvin Council Jr.
The guy is loved by Kansas fans. Like, really, really loved. And he’s earned that love in the shortest time imaginable and with a limited number of opportunities to obtain it.
Who knew that the transfer portal not only could be so productive but also so giving.
No matter what happens the rest of the way with these Jayhawk — win, lose, get hot or flame out — Council already has locked himself into being remembered for a long, long time.
That’s part production, part personality and part pure joy.
On Saturday, during a season full of firsts for the former Saint Bonaventure guard, Council will endure one of the tougher lasts that any player can have at Kansas — his last game at Allen Fieldhouse.
It’s Senior Day, and the longstanding tradition of celebrating fan favorites, from All-Americans and legends to lovable walk-ons, will get its Melvin Council Jr. chapter. It’s sure not to disappoint. And, yeah, there’ll be some barking.
Council will be joined by fellow-seniors Tre White, Jayden Dawson, Justin Cross, Wilder Evers and Gee Ngala. Of that group, only walk-ons Cross and Evers have been at KU for the long haul. The rest, like Council, came to Kansas as transfers.
Melvin Council Jr. showing plenty of personality as a Jayhawk this season. [Kansas Athletics photos]
White, like Council, has been incredibly productive and important during his lone season as a Jayhawk. But there’s no denying that the impact by Council has been even bigger and certainly louder.
He’s loved on game night, loved on campus and loved in the locker room. He’s a social media star among the fan base and has used his platform to carve out a lasting impression that likely will transcend whatever the team achieves by season’s end.
Before we see Council’s final act and hear his senior speech, I thought it might be a worthwhile endeavor to take a look at the company he has kept this season and likely will keep for decades to come.
I thought about ranking them, or adding them to this list as a first team and second team. But that seemed silly. Why not just put the names down and let you organize them however you see fit. That’s both easier and better.
There might be some loosely organized manner to the list below, with the obvious no-brainer choices coming closer to the top and the rest filtering on down from there.
Remember, we’re talking beloved here, in all ways, not just in terms of their talent on the floor. Personality, performance, connection and more play into this list in a big way.
So, without further ado, here is my list of the most beloved Kansas basketball players of the Self era along with a quick blurb about how each player got to that point and what they’ll forever be remembered for.
We’re seeing Council’s impact in real time right in front of our eyes. And it’s been a pretty cool ride.
Devonte’ Graham, PG 2014-18
I’m not sure if we’ve ever seen someone quite so equipped for a starring role in Hollywood as Devonte’ Graham. He was a huge part of the team from his freshman season on and he really grew into this role during his stellar junior year. But by the time he was a senior, it was his team, his campus and everyone absolutely loved him. His smile. His skills. His words. His jokes. Devonte’ was a true star and everyone knew it. Including him.
Thomas Robinson, PF 2009-12
One of the biggest reasons that T-Rob landed on this list was pure passion. Few players played harder and showed more emotion and the willingness to fight for everything they got. Add into this the fact that the fan base embraced him during one of the toughest times in his life, when his mom died, along with the run to the national title game, and you’re talking about one of the all-time most beloved Jayhawks of any era.
Sherron Collins, PG 2006-2010
The face and leader of back-to-back teams during his junior and senior seasons and a Bill Self favorite from Minute 1. That alone often endears you to the fan base, but the fact that Collins played a huge role in the 2008 national title run and also was there to carry the program beyond that, side by side with Cole Aldrich following that title run, made Collins one of the most loved and most productive players in KU history throughout his career.
Tyshawn Taylor, PG 2008-12
Another player who produced and led with pure emotion, Tyshawn delivered plenty of moments that made fans scratch their heads and throw their hands up. But he always made up for those, and he loved the place. He played hard, he played fast, he had that east-coast swagger and he was a major factor on the floor and in the headlines for four years, the last of which was that run to the 2012 national title game. It’s no wonder Council has been compared to Taylor so often. Both dudes are pure personality.
Christian Braun, SG 2019-22
Bottom Line: The dude was a winner and played harder than just about any player who’s ever come through the program. Bottom Line Part II: People love a guy who’s willing to yell “BITCH!” at opponents or the crowd or after dunks or, really, whenever he feels like it. And that was certainly Christian. His fire and passion for being a Jayhawk made him one of the most popular players of the Self era and all that winning added the cherry on top.
Julian Wright, SF 2005-07
He was quirky, relatable in many ways and a lot of fun to watch and follow. Remember how good he was at bowling? Remember the 360 dunks in game and the full-on fun he displayed after every big moment? Yeah. Fans love that stuff. And Julian loved delivering it over and over during his two years at Kansas. Had he been a guy who stuck around for four years, he might’ve climbed up this list and been an even bigger no-brainer selection.
Jeff Withey, C 2009-13
The scowls. The bleeding. The fight and fire. The fake Twitter account. Withey, after a slow start to his KU career, had just about everything a guy needs to become a fan favorite and beloved. He also won a ton of games and set some big time records at the back end of his career while playing a position that fans instantly gravitate to anyway when guys are capable of blocking shots — and therefore demoralizing opposing offenses — like Withey was.
Mitch Lightfoot, C 2016-22
Prison Mitch. The guy they said you could cut open and watch a Jayhawk come flying out of his chest. How do you not love a guy like that? And boy Kansas fans did. His ability to punch above his weight class and mix it up with anyone, as well as his willingness to play his role and do whatever was asked of him during his 73 seasons at KU certainly endeared him to the fan base as a blue-collar hero. He ate up the spotlight, filled a role as team spokesman at times and ended his career by holding up a national championship trophy to round out the Mitch Lightfoot Experience in true Kansas basketball fashion.
Gradey Dick, SG 2022-23
His KU career was short-lived and he had holes in his game, but few players brought the energy on the offensive end quite like Dick, who had incredible range, loved to shoot and wasn’t afraid to attack the basket. Every time he succeeded, the explosive reaction to his biggest plays sent shockwaves of emotion into the Allen Fieldhouse stands. He also grew up idolizing all things KU and wanted to be a Jayhawk from a very early age. So, seeing him live out that dream also spoke to Kansas fans and made him super-popular. Oh, and then there’s the whole thing about his last name, which KU fans also embraced wholeheartedly, making his jersey one of the top sellers and creating a legendary career for a one-and-done Jayhawk.
Joel Embiid, C 2013-14
The 7-footer didn’t have near the personality during his one year at Kansas that he has shown during his professional career as “The Process” with the Philadelphia 76ers, but there were signs of it and his surging skills, which improved at warp speed, made the future No. 3 pick a big-time personality-plus Jayhawk. He did the thing with pointing the guns after big buckets and blocked shots. He grew all the more confident and cocky with his rapidly improving game. And he spun the tale of killing a lion back home in Africa before coming to the U.S. All of that made for a lovable giant and Kansas fans certainly enjoyed his time in town.
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