Braylon Mullins is more than a big shot. He's been UConn's missing piece

John Leuzzi, USA TODAY NETWORKFri, April 3, 2026 at 12:15 PM UTC

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Braylon Mullins is more than a big shot. He's been UConn's missing piece

Braylon Mullins hadn't hit a 3-pointer in the first 39 minutes and 59 seconds of Connecticut’s Elite Eight game against Duke before Alex Karaban passed the ball to him for the eventual 40-foot game-winning shot with under a second left.

It’s a shot that represented more than a punched ticket to the Final Four in Indianapolis.

"It's like a dream come true, dream scenario, made-for-TV movie or — I guess it goes right to streaming now," UConn coach Dan Hurley said.

Indiana’s Mr. Basketball from last season sent his team back to his home state to compete for a third national championship ring in the past four years.

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"You play for those moments," Mullins said after the game. "You dream about that. … That's a one-of-a-kind experience."

1 / 0Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past DukeUConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) hits a go-ahead three-point basket late in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena.

It was also a moment that depicted one of the roles the Greenfield, Indiana native has grown into for Hurley’s program this year: reliable and exuberantly confident shooter in key moments.

"This is kind of what I’ve dreamed of, and this is the position that I wanted to put myself in coming out of high school," Mullins told USA TODAY Sports in Philadelphia ahead of the Men’s NCAA Tournament.

On a team of veterans like Karaban, Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr., Mullins plays with an edge when he’s making shots, something that was missing from UConn’s roster last year. It’s what has led to gaining the trust and respect from his teammates to not back down from challenging shot attempts.

"It’s just kind of what the game gives you," Mullins said. "I know that I’m going to be put in spots that coach Hurley wants me to be put in and I’m going to shoot what is given to me. I know all my teammates want me to shoot those shots."

He backs up this edge and swagger with his stats: 11.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 43.9% from the field. He became the first Big East freshman since Marquette’s Markus Howard to knock down 50 made 3-pointers in the regular season.

"Once he’s hitting (shots), it just opens up everything else for us," Karaban told USA TODAY Sports. "He’s been doing it since the summer, so (I’m) never really going to tell him to turn down a shot."

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The Huskies freshman is an impactful piece of the puzzle for much more than his shooting.

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He’s able to impact the game defensively with steals and blocks, and then offensively with mid-range shots and playmaking. Pair that with his 3-point shooting, and its recipe for winning basketball. A recent example is UConn’s first round win vs. Furman when he overcame a bad shooting night with six assists, three steals and two rebounds.

Mullins' ability to impact the game in multiple ways has gained Hurley’s respect.

"You don't get far in this tournament unless your freshmen can do that," Hurley said of Mullins' growth in the tournament ahead of the Elite Eight. "He's a three-way player. He's out on the glass. He's a critical threat on offense, but he's also like an underrated defensive player with a maturity about him where, if he goes through stretches of the game where he's not getting shots, not making shots, he keeps playing winning basketball."

The season hasn’t come without its ups and down for the freshman, though. But his maturity and composure help him provide the missing puzzle piece, too.

"(He’s) special. Super special," Karaban said of Mullins. "His maturity as a freshman, his composure, the way he carries himself, you don’t really typically see it as a freshman. Especially someone who was a McDonald’s All American.

"He’s not asking people for shots. He’s not asking for the ball. He just wants to do whatever the team wants, whatever the team needs to win."

So if it is a key shot (or multiple) down the stretch or impacting the game defensively, Mullins will now look to finish putting the puzzle of a third national title celebration in the past four years together with his teammates in front of the hometown crowd over the next few days.

The first step to that comes Saturday against No. 3 Illinois in the Final Four.

"It's unbelievable to be in the position I am," Mullins said.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Braylon Mullins serving as UConn's missing piece in Final Four run

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