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UConn guard Braylon Mullins.
There is little to no doubt UConn freshman guard Braylon Mullins is headed to the NBA sooner than later — just how soon is where the debate lies.
Mullins, 6-foot-6, is about as ready-made to play in the NBA as they come and added the kind of moment that every basketball player dreams of — a 3-pointer from close to half-court with under 1 second left to take down Duke, 73-72, in the Elite Eight and send the Huskies to the Final Four.
UConn trailed by 15 points at halftime and were down by as much as 19 points before rallying for the win. It’s the 3rd Final Four in 4 years for UConn, which won back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024.
“A March hero is born!” CBS Sports commentator Billy Raftery said after Mullins hit his shot.
The Greenfield, Indiana, has been 1 of the stars for the Huskies this season on the way to a 29-5 record and No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“I tried to find someone who had actually made a 3, but I got the ball back to me and saw 3 seconds left, so I knew I needed to shoot it,” Mullins said after the game.
“He’s a rare human being,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “Just to have the guts to take that shot and make that shot.”
“BRAYLON MULLINS FROM THE LOGO SENDS UCONN BACK TO THE FINAL FOUR,” The College Sports Company wrote on its official X account. “ONE OF THE ALL-TIME SHOTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE NCAA TOURNAMENT.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Mullins after his star turn at the NCAA Tournament.
Braylon Mullins in Pantheon of Indiana’s Greatest
When Mullins was named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball and a McDonald’s All-American in 2025, he joined a pantheon of his state’s greatest high school basketball players — an incredible honor in the most basketball-rich state in the country.
Now, he gets to head back to his home state to play in the Final Four in Indianapolis.
Mullins averaged 32.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 3.7 steals per game as a senior as he led Greenfield-Central to a 23-4 record. Even with all that, the stat that stood out the most to scouts was his 3-point shooting — he shot an incredible 47.2 percent beyond the arc.
Ranked as the No. 2 shooting guard in the country, Mullins chose UConn over North Carolina and Indiana.
Instant Star on National Championship Contender
Mullins had averages of 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals, and was shooting 34.5 percent on three-pointers headed into the NCAA Tournament.
While Mullins missed 7 games due to a variety of nagging injuries and a concussion, he entered the starting lineup in early December, and his 3-point shooting percentage shot up to 37.1 percent.
“When Mullins is rolling, few shooters in the country can take over games as he can,” The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie wrote. “His lightning-quick release and ability to fly off of movement and fire have brought him into the NBA Draft conversation … A big tournament for Mullins could be the difference between him getting locked into a 2026 lottery spot or entering the 2027 draft. And it’ll almost certainly be the difference between UConn getting upset early or going on a deep run.”
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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