Before Braylon Mullins Helped UConn Stun Duke, he was Indiana’s Mr. Basketball

UConn freshman Braylon Mullins hit one of the most iconic shots in NCAA Tournament history.

With 10 seconds on the clock and top-seeded Duke up 72-70, Mullins sank a 35-foot 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in regulation. The shot propelled the second-seeded Huskies to a 73-72 victory in the Elite 8 and helped complete a 19-point comeback to send UConn to the Final Four.

“Obviously that's an epic (shot),” UConn coach Dan Hurley said via NCAA.com.

BRAYLON MULLINS 🥶

March Madness Moment.#MarchMadness @UConnMBB https://t.co/Gi4hwpbRT2 pic.twitter.com/byRRksznuA
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2026

Mullins, who finished with 10 points and notched his first 3-pointer after missing his first four during the game, became the latest unlikely hero of March Madness.

“I had the ball, and I knew (Alex Karaban) had just hit one,” Mullins said via NCAA.com. “So I threw him...and he just threw the ball back to me, and I knew I had to put one up.”

Before Mullins came through in the clutch for the Huskies, he was a high school basketball star in the state of Indiana.

And he had plenty of accolades to show for it.

Mullins, a Greenfield (IN) native, attended Greenfield-Central High School. He made his presence known as a sophomore for the Cougars when he shot 47% from three and averaged 16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game on a 21-2 Greenfield squad.

As a junior, Mullins continued to develop. On a Cougars’ team that went 24-1 on the season, Mullins averaged 25.0 points with 6.2 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 3.2 assists per game.

Mullins’ senior campaign continued to solidify his status as one of the great high school basketball players to come out of the Hoosier State. Greenfield compiled a 23-4 record and Mullins went on to average 32.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.7 steals per game while shooting 47% from three once again.

Mullins finished his high school career as Greenfield’s all-time leading scorer with 2,158 points. He also holds the school record for points in a game with 52.

His success on the court led to him being named a McDonald’s All-American and the Gatorade Indiana Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Mullins took his accomplishments a step further when he was awarded Indiana Mr. Basketball honors. Mullins joined former Indiana HS basketball greats Kyle Guy, Gary Harris, Eric Gordon, Sean May, Greg Oden, Tyler and Cody Zeller and more to receive the award.

As part of the Class of 2025, Mullins was a five-star recruit and a consensus top 25 prospect. He chose UConn over Indiana and UNC. The rest, so far, is history.

Mullins and the Huskies (33-5) will face three-seeded Illinois in the NCAA Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium. With the stadium just 30 minutes from Greenfield, it will be a homecoming for Mullins.

“(The shot) went in, and the Indiana kid sent us to Indianapolis,” Karaban said via NCAA.com. “Like that one? I've been using it a lot lately.”

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