UConn HC Predicts Braylon Mullins Will Elevate Team Ceiling
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Despite seeing a 23-point win, witnessing the first UConn Huskies triple-double in nearly two years and even after seeing his team clamp down defensively despite missing two major rotation pieces, Dan Hurley was already drifting toward the version of the Huskies that doesn’t yet exist.
“I think the upside of the group is high level. I just think that when it’s all said and done with this team, there’s going to be a cluster of guys, when Braylon’s (Mullins) back, who all fall into that range.” Hurley said, almost shrugging, as if the ceiling his team hasn’t touched yet is the most obvious thing in the world.
While Mullins is one of the reasons, Hurley also added, “Obviously, we didn’t have a 20-10 night with Tarris (Reed Jr.); we didn’t have 20 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, and a dominant force on the court tonight. When Braylon is back, I think you’re going to see a cluster of eight or nine guys who are somewhere between seven and fifteen points.”
Mullins and Reed will be critical to the team once the schedule gets tougher. However, why is Hurley hellbent upon Mullins’ return? The 6-foot-6 star from Indiana is a five-star prospect, Mr. Basketball, McDonald’s All-American, and arguably the best perimeter shooter entering college hoops this season.
Mullins averaged 32.9 points in high school and shoots 47% from deep. He played one game in the Husky jersey before being injured. In the match against Boston College, Mullins scored 12 points in 17 minutes. Soon after, he suffered an ankle injury that kept him out for six weeks.
Jordan Hawkins, Stephon Castle, Liam McNeeley, and now Braylon Mullins as the next potential UConn 1st round pick.
— Matt (@sixringsofsteeI) October 16, 2025
2025 Mr. Basketball in Indiana looks like an explosive guard right away for the Huskies. pic.twitter.com/Hp1oGh6IIR
Hurley knows exactly what that kind of sniper does to spacing, pace, and panic levels in opposing defenses. While Mullins is likely to return before the Kansas matchup, Reed is likely going to be out for a little longer.
Reed returned only recently after recovering from a hamstring injury. And now, he is out again due to an ankle issue. He’s UConn’s top scorer and rebounder, averaging 20 and 9.3. Before he went down, he’d just played a 21-point and eight-rebound game against BYU. Once the two are back, the Huskies might just have the pieces they need for a deep March.
Tell your loved ones about Tarris Reed Jr. 🗣️
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) November 16, 2025
21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 monster blocks 💪 pic.twitter.com/YSrB50f1NF
However, without Reed and Mullins, the team looks equally scary. UConn now sits at 5-1 after beating Bryant 72–49. During the game, Silas Demary Jr. hit his first career triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, plus four steals.
UConn didn’t shoot well, but still led wire-to-wire, built a 16-point halftime lead, and never allowed the Bulldogs within 17 in the final 15 minutes. Eric Reibe continued his rise with 16 points and six boards. And the best part, UConn did it while missing the two guys Hurley expected to anchor the season.
Dan Hurley Sounds Off on Thanksgiving Plans Ahead of Illinois Clash
Next up, Hurley and the Huskies will be going to New York to face Illinois. The team will also have restrictions and early celebrations for Thanksgiving.
“We’re going to eat the… what’s in the turkey, Bobby? No, no, what makes people sleepy? Tryptophan,” Hurley joked. “So we're not eating the tryptophan on Thursday and being sluggish on Friday. We're eating the turkey and everything on Wednesday, so it's out of our system by the time we get to MSG.”
Only Hurley could turn holiday meal timing into a competitive advantage, but the subtext was clear. Illinois is coming, and he wants zero sluggishness. The last time the two teams faced each other in an Elite Eight match, the Huskies won 77–52 in Boston.
Now they meet again at Madison Square Garden, a stage Hurley loves and a building UConn often looks like it owns. And this Illinois game is just the beginning of a gauntlet. After MSG, UConn heads to Kansas on December 2, returns home for East Texas A&M on December 5, and then right back to New York for Florida on December 9 in the Jimmy V Classic.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.