Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - Should Bill Self TARGET Nation's Steals Leader Javontae Campbell IF Melvin Council Is NOT Eligible

Episode Date: August 20, 2026

Kansas Jayhawks eye defensive disruption as transfer target Javontae Campbell—nation’s steals leader—emerges as a potential solution if Melvin Council’s eligibility falls through. Could Campbell’s dog mentality and elite defensive prowess spark KU’s backcourt? The conversation focused on Campbell’s Mid-American Conference accolades, eye-popping stats (18.7 points, 5.1 assists, 3.0 steals per game), and his ability to change the game with chaos creation and on-ball pressure. A key theme that emerged was Campbell’s fit alongside Kansas’ young guards Taylen Kinney and Leroy Blyden, examining concerns about his offensive limitations and three-point shooting at the Big 12 level. The discussion explored potential lineups, the impact of defensive specialists off the bench, and whether Kansas should prioritize another center or embrace Campbell as a Diet Coke version of Melvin Council. Is Campbell KU’s answer for relentless perimeter defense, or will roster needs push the staff in a different direction? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get $10 when you trade $10. .   The Game Don't miss this chance to celebrate 40 years of The Game with 40% off your entire order. Visit https://TheGameCaps.com and use promo code LOCKEDONat checkout. 5-Hour ENERGY Bring on the sweetness with Cotton Candy 5-hour ENERGY®️ shots—available online now at https:/5hourENERGY.com or on Amazon. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONfor $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COMto play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season.  FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If Kansas can't get Melvin Council eligible, I think I might have found another guard they could go with that might bring a little bit of dog mentality. How about the nation's leader in steals? You are locked on Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks, part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day. What's up, Derek Johnson here? This is Locked on Jayhawks. And on today's episode, another portal deep dive, we'll get into Giovante Campbell, somebody who I think of them, Melvin Council stuff doesn't work out for KU and they decide they want another ball handler would make a lot of sense in that specific role. We'll get into his potential fit with KU, scouting report, and more. Now, this is not somebody who has been linked to Kansas in any way.

I haven't seen anything yet. I haven't really seen him linked to anybody yet, which is kind of weird. I don't know if it's just a quiet recruitment or it's just not, you know, being publicly out there or whatnot. But it's a player who, you know, was literally, the nation's leader in steals a season ago. He's been in the portal since the spring, but obviously there was the question of, is he going to be eligible? Now, trying to get eligible, and obviously we still wait word on the Wisney versus Colorado thing, right? But he ended up playing in the summer league briefly, didn't get scooped up with any NBA contracts. He is a six-foot-two, 185-pound guard who began his career at Northern Oklahoma. That's a junior college. And he was an

honorable mention junior college All-American goes to Bowling Green where he's been for the last two seasons. And over the course of those two seasons was one of the more decorated players in the Mid-America Athletic Conference. He was a five-time Mac player of the week. He was a 2025 Mac third team selection. He was a 20-26 Mac first team selection. He was a two-time All-Mac defensive team pick and then he was the 2026 Mac defensive player of the year. So very well decorated player. And in his most recent season, these are fun stats, 18.7 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. And the steals per game numbers, as you would imagine being the country's leader there, a bonkers three steals per game. You could take the top two players on KU last year in steals per game and it

would still be lower than what Campbell averaged by himself. And he did so while shooting 50% from the floor, 32% from 3 and 76% at the foul line. So you look at the statute and they're like, man, everybody should be all over this guy, right? And so, you know, obviously in a situation where Kansas where they fill their final two spots with, you know, just bring back Trey White and Melvin Council,

if they can make that work, you don't have the need for a player like this. But if the council thing doesn't work out in the course, for KU, you know, you're describing a player who would be a defensive guard who could come in and fill that role, right? Now, it is a small sample of games versus better opponents for him. That would be a big question to jump in competition. But in four Ken Palm top 100 games that he's played, he did actually shoot slightly better from two, and he was a strong five of 12 from three point range. Metrically speaking, you're talking 88th percentile in RAPM, 97th percentile and winchairs per five.

48th percentile in P-E-R and 99th percentile in wins above replacement players. If you include all players committed, uncommitted, newly added, Campbell is rated as a top 100 player in the portal for Evan Miyakawa this offseason, right? And then you look at the on-off numbers. He was super impressive, too, as you would imagine. Bowling Green was over 14 points better per 100 possessions when he was on. the floor this past season. So again, the way I view it is this.

If counsel can't get clear and you decide, hey, we're going to use that scholarship on another ball handler, as opposed to maybe a center or something, I think Campbell would make a lot of sense. So let's get to the Scouting Report next and then the potential fit with KU. This is locked on Jayhawks. Our episode of the show today is brought to you by Game Time. There are more live events than ever worth seen right now, right? Games, concerts, comedy shows, festivals.

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Let's start with the strengths for his scouting report. I mean, the defense and the chaos creation is the big one, right? Like, he was the Mac defensive player of the year, two-time all defensive pick. Like, obviously a very good defender. And it's also not just the ability to be a good defender, but he's also converting those stops into steel. which are therefore going to lead to runouts. And, you know, transition scoring is easier than half court scoring, right?

Especially usually with the team like Kansas, they're going to have some guys who are very good in transition. And that's typically a staple of a Bill self team, right? So the defense is kind of the biggest calling card here, right? He's also a good passer. The turnovers are a tad higher than you'd want, but he's still 95th percentile in assist rate. So you get good passing from him. he also is a bowling ball at getting to the rim right so he uh is above average when you look at field goal percentage on layups but the real skill he has is getting to the free throw line 96th percentile

in free throw attempts for 40 minutes now there have been some studies done that that's one of those numbers that doesn't always translate over to a higher level of basketball but if you're going from 96 percentile and it gets worse instead of being elite at it you know against better competition you just become above average to good at it. That could still be good enough with some of the other skills here, right? He also is an above average rebounder from the guard position, both ends of the floor. So making at least contributions there, right? Some of the weaknesses, though, the lack of shooting is the big one here.

Not that he was, I mean, 32% is fine. It's just he's not taken very many. You're talking 14th percentile in three-point attempts per 40 minutes. He's on, you know, low 30s to high 20s in terms of three-point percentage. doesn't really take many from the mid-range either. So there is a world where if you put him out on the offensive end of the court, other teams could just say, we're going to sag off of him and make life difficult on other people.

Now, because of his driving ability, he's able to take advantage of that sometimes. He's a good passer, like I said, and I think the main reason he's out there is because of his defense. If you're in a situation where you can almost hide him as your fifth player on offense, I think it could be really helpful for your team. with what he adds to the table. But if not, you're going to need a improvement from the three-point shooting, right?

And that's kind of the big question here. Like, do the offensive limitations combined with jumping up in competition lead to issues offensively, not just for him, but as a team, right? And then what are we talking about if, okay, he's above average and layups in the Mac? What happens if that's below average in the Big 12? So those would be the big questions, would be the offensive side of the basketball. But when you look at the defensive side of the basketball, this would be an elite defensive guard. And so if you're viewing it as, hey, you know, we didn't get Melvin counsel.

We're trying to play somebody who can bring a defensive mentality next to one of Taylin Kinney or Leroyd-Blyden to cover up, you know, what would be kind of their question. Then maybe it makes some sense, right? So let's get a little bit more into how that fit would look and what it would be for. KU with Jvante Campbell. This is locked on Jayhawks. Our episode today is brought to you by Kalshi. Before the season even kicks off, everyone is making predictions. Who's going to win the division? Who's going to make the playoffs? Who's lifting the trophy at season's end? Well, on Kalshi, which is America's number one prediction market platform, you can trade those predictions in a live market. And I'm looking right now for the NFL championship. Do you think that, you know,

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That's K-A-L-S-H-I. trade on anything. 18 plus only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves risk and may not be suitable for all investors. CalChi products are not available on all jurisdictions, prices, values, and available markets may differ from those mentioned. For more information, see calshy.com slash regulatory. Thanks yet for joining us here on Locked on Jayhawks. What's the fit for Giovante Campbell? So again, I don't think it should be one where it's like, let's say the Trey White thing didn't work and the Melvin Council thing does work. You don't go after Jvante Campbell in that situation.

The only way this makes sense is if you can't get Melvin counsel eligible and you're saying, hey, we would have liked to have another ball handler who is going to be a good defender for us and be an older player trustworthy to come in to a position where we have a couple of youngsters in Leroyd-Blyden, who is a sophomore, but is making a jump up in competition and Tailing Kenny, who's in his first year of collegiate basketball, right? And I also think that Campbell would be somebody who wouldn't have the same minute ceiling as Melvin Council necessarily. Like I think in the world where you add Melvin Council, Melvin Council starting, I think in the world where you add Giovante Campbell, even with Talen, Kenny and Leroblidon,

I think Campbell is coming off the bench. And, you know, he's hounding the opposing ball handler for 94 feet, right? The question is, could you do enough offensively around him? And maybe you even view him as like, okay, if the idea of Luke Barnett is going to be this like really, really good three point shooter and offensive player, can you hold up defensively? what if you had a bench lineup with Javonte Campbell at the one, Luke Barnett at the two, you know, I don't mean, I mean, even though it's the bench unit, like if Tyron Stokes is going to be playing 30 plus minutes, still going to be mixed in with the bench.

You got like Stokes at the three, you know, Daws at the four and then whatever center at the five, that lineup's still going to be really good offensive even with Campbell out there. And now you've got an extra dog out there with Campbell defensively to help be a stopper, right? So I think it'd be cool for KU's bench guard. I also think it would be cool if the Melvin Council thing doesn't work out. The ideal situation is the Council thing does work out. The other situation here is if the Council thing doesn't work out, are you better using that scholarship on a center?

And that would probably be my other preference. If the Council thing doesn't work out, give me the center. But again, if neither of those line up and you're saying, hey, this can be a Diet Coke version of Melvin Council in some ways actually better than counsel in terms of getting the steals, for instance, and finishing at the rim, I think it would make a little bit of sense for KU. But can he get a bigger role? Can he get more money somewhere else? I would think so, but I guess it hasn't happened to this point in time. All right, that'll do for this episode of Lockdown Jayhawks. You can find our show anywhere you get your podcast, including on our YouTube page, we can like and subscribe to the show. See you next time on L.O.J.