Former Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. may have set off another round of speculation Saturday night, but the noise still points back to one place: Lawrence.
Council, who was granted a preliminary injunction by a New York judge earlier this week, is temporarily free to pursue a college opportunity while his case plays out. That ruling also reopened the door for Tre White, who returned to Kansas as part of a broader injunction in Indiana that included 96 other plaintiffs.
Even with Kansas viewed as the likely fit from the beginning, there had been some uncertainty about whether Council’s next stop would actually be back with the Jayhawks. The Big 12 adopted a rule in August that bars former professional players from competing in the conference, and the NCAA says Council’s stint with the New Orleans Pelicans in NBA Summer League counts as pro experience. That wrinkle has kept his status in limbo.
Then came the Instagram story. Council said he would make a decision the next day, Sunday, Oct. 4, and named Michigan, Kentucky, and LSU as the schools he was weighing.
The post immediately sent Kansas fans into a frenzy. But the reaction may have been overblown.
Field of 68 podcast host and college basketball insider Jeff Goodman called the post a “high-level troll” from the Rochester native. Goodman also said he believes the only team Council might join is Kansas.
Update: Neither is Kentucky. This might be a high-level troll by Melvin Council Jr. I would still be shocked if Council goes anywhere except Kansas - if he is eligible. https://t.co/TQhsIpSdbY
Council added another layer to the speculation the same day he received the injunction from Judge Daniel Doyle in Monroe County Supreme Court, posting photos of himself in a crimson and blue uniform on his Instagram story. He has now presented himself as a decision between three schools with major NIL resources, and the timing made the whole thing look sudden.
Still, the social media theater fits Council’s reputation. He’s known for having an energetic, playful personality, and he became one of the most popular Jayhawks in recent memory during his lone season in Lawrence.
ESPN insider Jeff Borzello has already said Michigan is not in the mix. Goodman has ruled out Kentucky. And there’s not much reason to think LSU and Will Wade have jumped to the front of the line.
Council’s numbers from last season explain why Kansas would want him back in a hurry. He started all 35 games in the 2025-26 campaign and averaged 12.7 points, 5.1 assists and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 39.2% from the field. If he returns, he would slide right back into KU’s starting five.
For now, Kansas fans are left waiting to see whether Sunday brings an actual announcement or just another twist in the rumor mill. If Goodman is right, the wait may not last long.
In Other News...
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Middle Tennessee never found a rhythm, forced into repeated punts and kept from building any real momentum once the game settled in. For Kansas, that kind of balance matters because it suggests the Jayhawks may have found a version of themselves that can travel better than a shootout script, especially when the offense is clicking and the defense is no longer just trying to hold on. The question now is whether this was a one-week statement or the start of something more durable. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Just Delivered The Kind Of Win Fans Needed
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The bigger picture was just as encouraging on the other side of the ball, where Kansas turned in a suffocating defensive effort and allowed only seven first downs. Middle Tennessee never found much rhythm, managing just 3.2 yards per play, and the Jayhawks left no doubt by finishing the day with a shutout. For a program that has been looking for cleaner, more complete outings, this was the kind of response fans had been waiting to see. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Self Pushes Back As Kansas Faces A Scheduling Squeeze
Kansas footballs trip to London for the Union Jack Classic brought a different kind of reward than a win, with the Jayhawks leaving Arizona State behind in the box score but coming home with $2.7 million and a dose of international exposure. The football program got a rare showcase overseas, and it was enough to stir the usual offseason conversation about what kinds of opportunities are worth the disruption when a school is trying to compete across multiple sports.
Bill Self, though, made clear he does not see that same model fitting his basketball program. With the season calendar already tight, the Kansas coach said international games during the winter would create too many scheduling headaches, even as he talked through the Jayhawks upcoming nonconference and Big 12 slate. He also weighed in on the leagues shifting basketball schedule, a reminder that Kansas is navigating not just opponents, but the format of the season itself. [Read more 🡒]