Kansas Basketball HC Bill Self Crowns Jayhawks' MVP So Far

The 2025-26 Kansas basketball team may not be the most talented group Bill Self has ever coached, but it is certainly one of the grittiest.

KU displayed its inherently tough nature during its seven-game stretch without star freshman Darryn Peterson. Despite direly missing his offensive presence, the Jayhawks pulled off multiple hard-fought victories that showed how close this team is.

During his appearance on Hawk Talk this Monday, head coach Bill Self spoke about a few players who had stood out through the season's first 10 games. Self adamantly said that Melvin Council Jr. has been the Jayhawks' "MVP."

"Melvin Council has been our MVP so far, hands down. Now does he know what he’s doing all the time? Maybe not," Self continued. "Has he shot the ball well? Not like he’s capable of shooting the basketball. But folks, he plays 38 minutes a game, he guards the other team’s point guard and best player, he hawks them all over the place, and he gets his feet in the paint. And when you get your feet in the paint, you can play behind that."

Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Melvin Council Jr. (14) dunks the ball during the first half against the Missouri Tigers at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

By no means has Council been perfect, as he is shooting just 34.8% from the field and 18.5% from three. However, fans knew he would be a glue guy the second he transferred this offseason from St. Bonaventure.

He has a tenacious, intense nature that makes him an excellent point-of-attack defender, and he naturally creates energy for his teammates. Since the Duke game on Nov. 18, he has played 36 or more minutes in every contest, making him a staple of the Jayhawks' rotation.

"The thing that makes him cool is you guys can tell when he plays, he plays with joy," Self said on Monday. "To me he’s fun to support, and enjoy watching him, because he does have this exuberance about himself that’s very naive, which is attractive, and is very humble, and 'Hey, just tell me what to do and I’ll try to do it.' I love that about him."

Self has said time and time again that Council reminds him of former KU point guard Tyshawn Taylor, whose lows could be very low but whose highs could also be very high.

Council is averaging 10.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and a team-high 5.3 assists. While he absolutely needs to shoot the ball better at some point, his other traits and instincts make up for it.

The Rochester, New York, native is already a fan favorite among the Allen Fieldhouse crowd and clearly loves being a Jayhawk. It isn't surprising at all for Self to call him the MVP so far.