Melvin Council Jr.’s End of Game Celebration Will Ruffle K-State’s Feathers

You would be hard-pressed to find a man more beloved in the city of Lawrence right now than Melvin Council Jr. Jayhawk fans have embraced the New York native as one of their own in his first and only year with the Kansas basketball program.

Between the Allen Fieldhouse crowd barking when he has the ball to embrace his "dog mentality" and the countless winning plays he has made late in games, Council has been an absolute blessing out of the transfer portal for Bill Self. It is easy to see why the Hall of Fame head coach continues to sing his praises for him.

On Saturday night against Kansas State in the Sunflower Showdown, Council did something that will make KU fans love him even more. The 6-foot-4 point guard did the Wildcats' Wabash Cannonball celebration as the game clock ticked to zero in a Christian Braun-esque moment of mockery.

The Wabash Cannonball tradition has existed since 1968 for K-State and is recognized as its second fight song. The traditional dance that accompanies the song is exactly what Council imitated.

The moment came just seconds after Council dove for a loose ball with 10 seconds remaining and the Jayhawks up by 22 points, tipping it to Tre White for an end-of-game dunk. Council showed no mercy and made it clear he was not going to let up on the Wildcats.

Although it is only his first year at KU, Council has shown he understands exactly what it means to be a Jayhawk. He shows up in big moments and never shies away from the intensity of rivalry games.

Entering the contest, Council was averaging 13.5 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. He was excellent once again, finishing with 17 points and 12 assists for a double-double.

The impact he has on the team cannot be put into words. Council brings elite defensive tenacity and as much energy as any Jayhawk to wear the uniform in this decade.

While he has shown some offensive limitations and endured early-season jump-shooting woes, he has bounced back and is now hovering around 35% from 3-point range. More importantly, he is a proven leader whom Self can trust for 35 or more minutes a night to bring constant energy and poise.

But at the end of the day, moments like Saturday night are what truly win over the fanbase. Mocking the Wildcats resonated with KU fans because it showed Council is just like them.

He wants to beat the program's biggest rival and cares as much as anybody else, and he is not afraid to show it. That is exactly why Council will be remembered in Lawrence for years to come, and it is truly unfortunate that he has no eligibility remaining after this season.

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