Melvin Council Jr. did not hide how much Saturday night's Sunflower Showdown win at Kansas State meant.
“It means a lot,” Council said after Kansas’ win at Kansas State. “Coach was preaching before that Kansas State beat us three times in a row, and it’s my last year, so I didn’t want to be in that. We just wanted to come out big with a team win.”
Council backed it up on the floor, finishing with 17 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in one of his best all-around games of the season. He said the moment had been building all week. A video of past losses and court-storming celebrations circulated in the team group chat, adding extra fuel.
“We just had that mindset that that can’t happen again,” he said.
Kansas coach Bill Self admitted the rivalry still carries special weight for him, especially after recent trips to Manhattan had gone poorly.
“This is a big game to me personally because it’s an in-state game,” Self said. “I told our players, ‘You’re going to be here one year. You leave here and nobody talks about it. I’ve got to live here.’”
Self said he was more animated than usual as the Jayhawks pulled away late, not because of the score, but because of how they played.
“I was probably more excited to see us play that well than I normally am,” he said.
For Council and the Jayhawks, the message was clear. In this rivalry, the past mattered, and Saturday was about making sure it did not repeat itself.