By Joe Budzelek
Bronx, NY – St. Bonaventure lead guard Melvin Council Jr. is no stranger to stepping up and shining brightest when his team needs him the most.
Last season, Council Jr. started his Division 1 career with Wagner and in his first game with the Seahawks, Council Jr. dropped 21 points against Fordham at Rose Hill. Now with St. Bonaventure, Council Jr. made his return to Fordham on Saturday afternoon, this time weaving together a two-way masterpiece, tying a season high 24 points and pilfering five steals that wilted Fordham’s troublesome transition defense. “That kid Council is really talented,” said Fordham head coach Keith Urgo following the game, “If he gets out in transition, he’s eclectic and we let him do that too often.”
Many times when Council Jr. led the charge as the game slowed down in the halfcourt, a Fordham diehard sitting within an earshot of press row repeatedly yelled double him, he shoots every time! – unbeknownst to that fan, Council Jr. even reached a season high with 8 assists, relishing and riling up the numerous Bonnies fans that made the trip to the Bronx.
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| St. Bonaventure guard Melvin Council Jr. (11) rises up for a mid-range jump shot over Jackie Johnson III (15). (Photo credit St. Bonaventure Athletics) |
A productive and valuable guard earlier in the season, Council Jr. has done an excellent job making the best of his added responsibility following the foot injury to starting point guard Dasonte Bowen. In the five games following Bowen’s injury, Council has taken the lead on both scoring and passing responsibilities, averaging 19.2 points, 5.2 assists and 3.6 steals per game, a consistent performance strong enough to earn Game MVP nods by KenPom in four of the last five games.
A lot of Council Jr.’s comfort with an expanded role was developed throughout the second half of last season at Wagner, where injuries decimated the roster to just seven healthy scholarship players just prior to the start of conference play. Throughout that stretch, not only did Council Jr. play every minute in eight of the final thirteen games of the regular season, but also in the NEC Tournament championship and in both NCAA Tournament games, highlighted with a 21 point, 5 rebound and 7 assist performance against Howard in the 16-seed play-in game in Dayton, marking the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory. While injuries forced Wagner head coach Donald Copeland to stick to a handful of players, St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt is also known for his tight rotations.
Speaking of Schmidt, watching Council Jr. play for St. Bonaventure feels different than most of the Bonnies guards of past years. “I give my hat’s off to Coach Schmidt,” says Urgo, “He’s adjusted and adapted. He’s one of the best offensive minds in the game, a system guy, and when you’ve got a guard like [Council Jr.] he’s letting him play and he usually doesn’t do that.”
At the college level, guards playing isolation offense often feels like sloppy “hero ball”, but when the ball is in his hands, Council Jr. has the confidence, vision and wisdom of an astute captain navigating the icy waters of the defense. Quick-twitch footwork, impressive positional length and a deep repertoire of moves helps Council Jr. get downhill in all gears, looking especially meticulous when the game slows down.
Until Bowen’s return, Council Jr. will continue to sustain an expanded role, but it would not surprise if Schmidt continues to lean on his impressive senior guard as the Rochester native is steadily building a resume to finish the season as an All-Conference selection.
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