Melvin Council Jr. Goes Nuclear from Deep as Kansas Survives NC State in Overtime Thriller
RALEIGH, N.C. - If you’re looking for the night Melvin Council Jr. officially introduced himself as a long-range threat, circle this one in red ink. The Kansas guard didn’t just flirt with his career high from beyond the arc - he shattered it.
In fact, he doubled his season total for made threes in one game. And the Jayhawks needed every single one of them.
Council dropped 36 points on 13-of-27 shooting, including a jaw-dropping nine made threes, to help Kansas escape with a 77-76 overtime win over NC State at the Lenovo Center. It was the kind of performance that starts as a heat check and ends as a full-on firestorm.
And while Council was the headliner, this one was far from a solo act.
A Game of Runs, Fouls, and Firepower
Kansas found itself in a hole early, and not just on the scoreboard. Freshman big man Flory Bidunga picked up two quick fouls within the first three minutes, throwing an early wrench into Bill Self’s frontcourt rotation.
Meanwhile, NC State dared Council to beat them from deep - and he took that challenge personally. The Wolfpack sagged off him early, giving him space to fire away.
He started 2-for-6 before any other Jayhawk had even scored.
NC State capitalized on the slow start. Ven-Allen Lubin threw down a highlight-reel dunk over KU’s Bryson Tiller to cap an early burst that put the Wolfpack up 11-7 and forced a Kansas timeout.
But this wasn’t a game defined by pretty basketball. At one point, KU was 2-for-15 from the field, and NC State wasn’t much better at 4-for-18. It took a leaning layup from Tre White to tie things up at 11 midway through the first half, and a turnover from Elmarko Jackson led to an and-one in transition for Quadir Copeland - part of his team-high 19 points - that gave the Wolfpack a 17-13 edge.
That’s when Council really got cooking.
Council Ignites, Peterson Joins the Party
Still left open on the perimeter, Council buried two more threes. Then Darryn Peterson - who had a foul erased on review - got on the board with a pair of tough buckets. Kansas finally found some rhythm, and a 7-0 run that included dunks from Tiller and Bidunga gave the Jayhawks a 25-23 lead heading into the under-four timeout.
But just when it looked like Kansas might take control, the Wolfpack clawed back. Paul McNeil Jr., scoreless until that point, hit a timely three.
Darrion Williams added a putback, and just like that, the game was tied at halftime. KU’s momentum?
Gone.
Second Half: Trading Blows, Losing Ground, and Finding Grit
Kansas opened the second half with quality looks - including a wide-open corner three for White that hung in the air like a question mark - but couldn’t cash in. Peterson hit a pair of threes, Bidunga threw down a dunk, and KU looked poised to pull away with a 12-2 run that made it 44-38.
But NC State wouldn’t go quietly.
Michael Holloman drilled a deep three over Council at the end of the shot clock. Then Matt Able splashed one from the corner to tie it at 51. Lubin gave the Wolfpack the lead again with a layup, forcing Self to burn another timeout with just over eight minutes left.
From there, it was a slugfest. NC State went nearly four minutes without scoring - and Kansas couldn’t create separation.
With Peterson sidelined due to an apparent injury, Council kept the Jayhawks afloat. He hit his sixth three to push KU ahead 58-55.
NC State answered. Council hit his seventh.
NC State answered again.
Then, with the game tied at 63, Council buried his eighth three-pointer of the night to give Kansas a late lead. But Darrion Williams - who’s made a habit of haunting KU ever since his Texas Tech days - had a response of his own, drilling a clutch three to knot it at 66.
Council and Bidunga both missed tough looks through contact on Kansas’ final possession of regulation. Copeland’s runner at the buzzer?
Just short. Overtime.
Overtime: Council’s Ninth, Williams’ Answer, and a Wild Finish
Overtime opened with fireworks. Williams stole the tip and scored three seconds in. Council answered immediately with his ninth three of the night - a career-defining shot in a career-defining game.
Still, Williams wasn’t done. He hit another three off an inbounds play.
After Council missed a floater, Jamari McDowell fouled on the rebound. Williams?
Another three. The Lenovo Center was rocking.
White calmly sank two free throws to keep Kansas within striking distance. Copeland drove and finished to put NC State back on top. Bidunga responded with a dunk under a minute to go.
Then came the chaos.
Copeland got the switch he wanted on McDowell but couldn’t convert. NC State was forced to foul Council, who missed the front ends of two one-and-one chances. But Williams, who had been the Wolfpack’s go-to guy down the stretch, couldn’t get his final two looks to fall - including a clean one with 1.1 seconds left that bounced wide.
What’s Next
Kansas heads back home to face Towson on Tuesday night. But this one will stick with them - not just because of the narrow escape, but because of what they saw from Melvin Council Jr. A player who came into the night with modest three-point numbers just rewrote his own scouting report - and maybe changed the trajectory of his season.
For the Jayhawks, that’s a win in more ways than one.