Braylon Mullins Is Staying at UConn and the College Basketball World Just Shifted
Four weeks ago, Braylon Mullins was probably gone. He hit one of the biggest shots in NCAA Tournament history to send UConn to the 2026 Final Four, became instantly famous coast-to-coast, and had every reason to think NBA scouts were calling. But then something happened that wouldn't have been possible a decade ago: he realized he could make more money staying at UConn than he would get drafted in the middle of the first round. So he's coming back. And it just moved the Huskies up to No. 2 in the preseason rankings.
The Money Changed the Math
This is what NIL and revenue-sharing actually do for college basketball. Yeah, mid-major programs struggle to keep their stars now because power conferences throw millions at top prospects and hundreds of thousands at mediocre ones. That's real. But on the flip side, talented players are staying in school longer than ever, which is making the absolute top of the sport better than it's been in decades. Mullins is the perfect case study. Ten years ago, five years ago, even four weeks ago, he's one-and-done. But the money works out better if he stays, and he thought through every angle with his family before deciding another year at UConn beats sitting on an NBA bench as a rookie, probably spending time in the G League. The answer is obvious: why not be one of the faces of college basketball at one of the sport's best programs instead of that?
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Mullins' return is already massive. But the Huskies didn't stop there. Duke transfer Nikolas Khamenia committed to UConn coach Dan Hurley, and suddenly you're looking at a team that has every reason to be scary next season. The rankings don't lie: UConn moved to No. 2 in the latest CBS Sports Preseason Top 25 And 1 for 2026-27. Michigan stays at No. 1, but here's the kicker,the top two teams in the preseason rankings are the same two that played each other in the national championship game just two weeks ago. That's not hype. That's reality.
Watch for UConn when the season tips off. This team is built different.
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