Latest on Melvin Council Jr., Mihailo Mušikić’s Eligibility Cases at Kansas

The NCAA eligibility fiasco continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. A North Carolina lawsuit has resulted in an injunction allowing more than 50 members of the 2022 recruiting class to play a fifth season of college basketball.

While several notable names like Dug McDaniel and Darrion Williams could benefit from the ruling, two Kansas Jayhawks are still awaiting decisions on their own eligibility. Where do things stand with Melvin Council Jr. and Mihailo Mušikić?

Why Melvin Council's Case Is Different

A lot of Kansas fans are wondering what this ruling means for Council, who has filed an individual lawsuit against the NCAA. He argues that because he spent two years at the junior college level due to a legal situation in which he was later acquitted, he should be granted a fourth season of Division I eligibility.

However, his case has nothing to do with the broader injunction affecting members of the 2022 recruiting class. Council will have to win his own case, and given how unpredictable NCAA eligibility rulings have become, there's really no telling what they are and aren't allowing anymore.

Council started all 35 games for the Jayhawks in his lone season in Lawrence, averaging 12.7 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.0 rebounds. He developed into one of the better two-way guards in the country but went undrafted before spending NBA Summer League with the New Orleans Pelicans.

For now, the Jayhawks simply have to wait on Council's case. A ruling doesn't appear to be imminent, but that could change at any juncture.

Mušikić's Age Could Be a Major Obstacle

The NCAA's new five-year eligibility rule could create a significant roadblock in Mušikić's path to becoming eligible. At 24 years old and after spending six seasons playing professionally, it's looking increasingly unlikely that the NCAA will grant him a waiver.

Mušikić has played professionally across Serbian and Adriatic Leagues and joined Kansas as a late offseason addition without any certainty surrounding his eligibility. The Jayhawks took a gamble on him and earned a commitment in July, knowing there was a real chance it wouldn't work out.

Because Mušikić is already 24, his eligibility clock would effectively begin when he was 19, leaving little room for him to qualify under the current rules. This same interpretation could also affect fellow Kansas big man Paul Mbiya, who is 21 years old and played professionally overseas before coming to college. If applied the same way, it could classify Mbiya as a junior rather than a sophomore.

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