Kansas Defeats NC State Fueled by Melvin Council’s Out of Body Performance

Kansas basketball entered Saturday's road tilt against NC State as slight underdogs. The Jayhawks squared off against a 7-3 Wolfpack team at the Lenovo Center in a sold-out arena that featured a rowdy crowd.

It wasn't the best game for Darryn Peterson or his supporting cast, and to add insult to injury, Peterson checked out with two minutes to go when his hamstring began cramping up again.

However, one Jayhawk rose to the occasion when he was needed most and put on the performance of a lifetime en route to a 77-76 overtime victory.

Melvin Council Jr., who head coach Bill Self crowned as the Jayhawks' MVP earlier this week, was absolutely unstoppable in the second half. The St. Bonaventure transfer scored a career-high 36 points and hit nine of 15 3-point attempts, despite entering the game shooting just 5-for-27 from beyond the arc on the season.

It was truly an out-of-body performance for KU's point guard and one of the most unexpected individual outings in recent memory.

Melvin Council Jr. Was Otherworldly vs. NC State

Council came into the game averaging fewer than one made 3-pointer per contest. Teams consistently left him open from deep due to his struggles, and that was the case early on Saturday, as he finished with 14 shot attempts in the first half alone and couldn't seem to find a rhythm right away.

But his confidence never wavered, and the often-frustrating Council showed that he has the ability to break out as a shooter. He drilled a three with 50 seconds remaining to put the Jayhawks up three and eventually force overtime, then followed it up by knocking down KU's first bucket of the extra period.

MELVIN COUNCIL JR. LEGACY GAME 🔥

36 PTS | 9-15 3PT | 7 REB | 4 AST pic.twitter.com/revxxvavnG
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) December 14, 2025

The Wolfpack were no longer leaving him open, yet Council continued firing and knocking down shots at an unbelievable rate. He accounted for nearly half of Kansas' points in a signature victory that will be remembered for years to come.

Peterson finished with a modest 17-point stat line, while Tre White also scored in double figures. Still, nobody contributed more than Council, who has been at the center of the discussion surrounding KU's offensive struggles in recent weeks.

If you overlook the missed one-and-one free throws late in overtime that nearly cost the Jayhawks the game, Council couldn’t have played much better over the final 15 minutes.

Nov 26, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Melvin Council Jr. (14) reacts in the second half against Tennessee Volunteers in the 2025 Players Era Festival third place game at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It speaks volumes about his character that he continued shooting even after his early threes weren't falling. That swagger is exactly why Self is so adamant about keeping him on the floor for extended minutes, and Council proved every doubter wrong on Saturday night.

This win marks the team's first true road victory of the season. The Jayhawks now head into a two-day break before facing Towson and Davidson to close out nonconference play.

KU fans should feel encouraged heading into Big 12 action next month, as this team has proven it is capable of winning marquee games away from home. That statement especially stands true if Council continues to show the flashes he did tonight.