Braylon Mullins, Hero of UConn's Run to National Final, Will Return to Huskies
Until March 29, UConn guard Braylon Mullins was merely a talented freshman on a very good Huskies team. Then, he became something else entirely.
It was Mullins's shot against Duke-one of the most memorable in NCAA men's tournament history-that pushed UConn to the Final Four, where it came oh-so-close to upsetting Michigan to win its third national title in four years. His status as a Huskies legend secured, he had a decision to make: stay in the Nutmeg State for another year or embrace the riches afforded a potential first-round NBA draft pick?
On Friday, Mullins chose the former, announcing his intent to return to UConn for the 2027 season.
Connecticut are you READY
- Jmullins24 (@Jmullins2424) April 18, 2026
LETS GO HUSKIES pic.twitter.com/QEicIA9m48
Mullins's shot against the Blue Devils turned him into a household name
Anyone with even a passing knowledge of college hoops knows what happened in Washington by now. Duke built a 19-point lead, and the Huskies spent much of their Elite Eight matchup unable to hit the broad side of a barn from three.
UConn responded by bullying the Blue Devils inside, cutting the lead to one with less than a minute to go. An untimely turnover from Duke guard Cayden Boozer left the ball in Mullins' hands, and he calmly swished a three-pointer from the outer reaches of the March Madness logo at half-court.
"I knew it was a deep shot. I didn't realize how far away he was until I watched the replay of it. It was kind of tracking on line and Braylon's such a special shooter that-that's what March Madness is all about, moments like that, players making plays and shots like that," Huskies coach Dan Hurley told CBS Mornings afterward.
"Still full of emotions," Mullins told the Today Show. "I can't even explain it myself. It's crazy that it all happened yesterday."
Almost immediately, Mullins became a minor celebrity, with much commentary focusing on his roots in Greenfield, Ind.-a half-hour drive from Indianapolis, the host of the Final Four. He gave a solid account of himself in friendly territory, making four threes against Illinois in the Final Four and three against the Wolverines in the national championship.
However: Mullins's success for UConn didn't begin on March 29
If much of the nation learned who Mullins was after his shot, UConn's opponents in the Big East and beyond were already familiar.
Debuting in late November after an October ankle injury, Mullins tagged Kansas for 17 points in his second collegiate game on Dec. 2. On Jan. 7, he contributed 24 points to a 103–98 overtime win over Providence-the first of two games where he drained six three-pointers. He added 21 against Georgetown in the Big East tournament, and was named to the conference All-Freshman team. For good measure, he even finished in the top 20 in the conference in blocks.
All these and more added up to make Mullins an enticing prospect at the next level, with a number of outlets mocking him in the first round. That will have to wait, as another shot at March glory beckons.
More College Basketball from Sports Illustrated
- UConn Looks to Duke to Find Its Alex Karaban Replacement in Transfer Portal
- Sources: Andrej Stojakovic Will Return to Illinois
- Dusty May's Depressing Recent Comments Show Where College Basketball Is Truly Broken
- Duke's Cayden Boozer Makes Decision on Basketball Future As Brother Cameron Prepares to Be Top NBA Draft Pick
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Braylon Mullins, Hero of UConn's Run to National Final, Will Return to Huskies.
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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 5:13 PM.