Melvin Council Jr. is the embodiment of all that makes this new era of college basketball great. While at Monroe College in the junior college ranks, Council shone with an average of 18.7 points per game, 4.1 assists, 2.4 steals, and 5.6 rebounds over the course of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Council then made the step up to Wagner, where he transitioned without a hitch, averaging 15.3 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists as the Seahawks finished with a 17-16 record, earned an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and ultimately moved on to St. Bonaventure.