Melvin Council Jr. Catches Fire, But NC State’s Defensive Gameplan Wasn’t the Problem
Sometimes in college basketball, a role player just catches lightning in a bottle-and there’s not much you can do about it. That’s exactly what happened when Kansas’ Melvin Council Jr., who came into the game shooting just 19% from deep, erupted for 36 points on 9-of-15 shooting from beyond the arc against NC State.
It was the kind of performance that turns heads and flips game scripts. But if you zoom in on the details, especially the second half, it’s clear that the Wolfpack’s defensive strategy wasn’t broken-it just ran into a player having the night of his life.
Halftime Check-In: NC State Holding Their Own
At the break, NC State had plenty to feel good about. They were tied 30-30 with the No. 19-ranked Kansas Jayhawks, despite shooting just 11% from three on 18 attempts.
That’s tough sledding offensively, but defensively? They were dialed in.
Kansas had just 30 points-its lowest-scoring half of the season. Their star freshman, Darryn Peterson, was largely neutralized, managing only five points. The Jayhawks shot just 31% from the field and 22% from three, both well below their season averages.
The only real source of offense for Kansas in that first half? Council Jr., who had four threes but was still just 4-of-13 from the field overall.
If you’re NC State, you take that every time. The defense was forcing tough shots and living with the results.
Second Half: Council Turns It Up
The second half started much like the first-tight, physical, and strategic. NC State continued to execute its defensive gameplan with discipline, often doubling Peterson off ball screens and rotating hard on the backside. It was high-level chess, and the Pack were playing the board well.
But then Council started hitting shots. Tough ones.
Contested ones. Shots that, by the book, you live with.
Let’s break down a few key moments:
- Shot #15: Council misses a wide-open three. The defensive rotation was textbook.
NC State doubled the ball screen, rotated properly, and forced Kansas into a long, contested possession. That’s a win, regardless of the shot result.
- Shot #17: This one’s a bit murkier. NC State blitzed Peterson again, but the containment wasn’t clean.
That forced a help rotation and left Council with a semi-contested look. He buried it.
Execution wasn’t perfect, but the scramble was understandable.
- Shot #19: Council had hit two straight, but Breon Pass (who had been guarding him well) stayed disciplined. He cut off the drive, forced a spin move, and stayed in front.
Council missed. That’s high-level on-ball defense.
- Shot #21: Another make, but again-this wasn’t a defensive breakdown. Council caught the ball well beyond the arc, and Pass closed out hard.
Council drove left, Pass cut him off, and Council hit a contested jumper. Sometimes, good offense beats good defense.
- Shot #23: This was the one true breakdown. Kansas drove right, and both defenders followed the ball.
That left Council alone on the wing, and the rotation was late. He drilled it-his sixth make in seven attempts.
That’s a defensive lapse you can’t afford when a guy’s already cooking.
The Final Numbers and the Bigger Picture
By the end of regulation, Council had gone 11-of-24 from the field, including a blistering 7-of-11 in the second half and 4-of-5 from three. That’s elite shot-making, plain and simple.
What’s wild is that only three of his made buckets were truly wide open. Most came with a hand in his face, off the dribble, or after a hard closeout. These weren’t catch-and-shoot warmups-they were high-difficulty makes from a player who, statistically, wasn’t supposed to be that guy.
And here’s the kicker: Council didn’t even get red-hot until the final five minutes of regulation. Up until then, he was still shooting below his career average.
NC State’s defense gave him the shots they could live with. He just made them.
So… What Now?
If you’re NC State head coach Will Wade, you probably don’t change much. The defensive strategy was sound.
The rotations were mostly sharp. The effort was there.
Council simply had a career night, and sometimes that’s the reality in high-level college hoops.
You can’t stop everything. The goal is to make the opposing team’s offense less efficient overall-and for the majority of the game, NC State did that. They limited Kansas’ stars, forced tough shots, and stayed in a game despite their own offensive struggles.
Yes, Council torched them. But it wasn’t because of a broken scheme or poor execution. It was because a player who hadn’t shown this kind of range all season suddenly found his rhythm and rode it all the way to 36 points.
If you’re game-planning against Kansas tomorrow? Honestly, you might just run it back.
Same scheme. Same rotations.
Just hope Council doesn’t go supernova again. Because lightning like that doesn’t strike twice… right?