UConn HC Tabs Guard as Gauntlet Difference-Maker
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Freshman guard Braylon Mullins has re-entered the UConn Huskies' season exactly when the team needs him. The Huskies are headed for their most brutal stretch with matches against Kansas, Texas A&M and Florida coming up.
After missing more than a month with an ankle injury, Mullins logged 10 cautious minutes against No. 13 Illinois. It wasn’t the scoring Dan Hurley had been hoping for, but Mullins managed to make 2 points.
Whale Mullins sure did look like someone who hadn’t played in six weeks; he also looked like someone who clearly won’t need six more to matter. Next up, UConn will face Kansas in Lawrence, and it is bound to be one for the ages. In the pregame press conference, Hurley had something to say about Mullins.
“Braylon is basically dealing with missing just about six weeks and then being dumped into Illinois at MSG and Kansas on the road. So, yeah, we’re just happy he’s back on the court and can start his season. He’s going to be a major difference-maker for us,” Hurley started.
And that’s not just coach talk. Before arriving in Storrs, the Indiana native was a five-star headliner, a McDonald’s All-American, 2025 Mr. Basketball, and a 47% shooter from deep who once dropped 52 in a single night. He’s UConn’s top recruit for a reason.
And that production is one of the reasons Hurley has wanted Mullins back on the court. And when a team is trying to survive UConn’s upcoming gauntlet, having a weapon like that can tilt everything.
As Hurley puts it, “Offensively, he’s going to take a lot of pressure off Alex, off Solo. He’s going to get better shots for everyone just with his presence and his shooting gravity. So I just… this guy is going to need some grace here, but that’s it.”
Against Kansas and the gauntlet post, Mullins will be critical. This is the fifth time UConn will face the Jayhawks, and so far, the Huskies have yet to win a game against KU. However, the two teams are equally competent and have 10 titles between them. Despite the gravity of this stretch, Mullins' return won’t be simple.
“He’s just going to need a little grace. Give him a runway to get himself going. It’s not easy. He didn’t get the exhibitions; he didn’t get a whole lot of games under his belt. He’s just been dropped right into the fire,” added Hurley.
Mullins played only one exhibition game against Boston College before being sidelined. However, in that match, he managed to make 12 points. Now he’s being dropped straight into Illinois at the Garden and Kansas on the road. But that’s not all Hurley had to say.
Dan Hurley Compares Braylon Mullins' Return to Liam McNeeley
During the press conference, Hurley was asked if he would take the Liam McNeeley road with Mullins. “They’re like night-and-day situations,” Hurley said, pointing to McNeeley’s return last season after the freshman wing was thrust back into the lineup with massive expectations.
McNeeley, a projected lottery pick, had to come back and instantly produce. And somehow, he did, even after suffering a high-ankle sprain and missing time, he jumped right back into form before eventually becoming a first-round pick going No. 29 overall in 2025.
Mullins won’t likely have the pressure McNeely had. As Hurley sees it, “He’s insulated by a lot of veteran players and a lot of talent, but also a team that defends….I don’t think there’s a ton of pressure on him the way there was for Liam to come back and have to get 20 a game. He’s certainly going to get to the point where he’s going to have some explosive nights, and he’s going to be a go-to guy for us on offense.”
#UConn is back to full strength with Tarris Reed, Jr. and Braylon Mullins having returned to the court. Where do the Huskies go from here?
— Jaden Daly (@DalyDoseOfHoops) December 2, 2025
“It just makes us even more dangerous,” says Alex Karaban.
On the strength of @UConnMBB in its depth: https://t.co/UMo8xTWfs2 pic.twitter.com/tpnwDNSqJq
Mullins gets to acclimate, find his two-way footing, and rediscover his rhythm before UConn expects an explosion. It’s a luxury McNeeley never got, and one Mullins could turn into the foundation of a monster freshman year. Despite the pressure being off, Mullins has already been penned in to take the one-and-done McNeeley path.
In fact, ESPN’s mock draft has Mullins at No. 13 going to the Chicago Bulls. “His excellent 3-point shooting, both off movement and off the bounce, gives him a calling-card skill, plus he's a tough competitor with positional size who can chip in defensively,” writes ESPN.
-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.