Braylon Mullins Turned Down NBA Money to Stay at UConn, and Dan Hurley Just Got a Lot More Dangerous
On his 20th birthday, Braylon Mullins made a decision that could reshape college basketball for the next year. The UConn guard announced Saturday he's coming back for his sophomore season instead of heading to the NBA Draft in June. For a program that just made the national title game, this is huge.
Think about what just happened here. Mullins hit one of the biggest shots in NCAA Tournament history to send the Huskies to the Final Four. That 33-footer against Duke in the Elite Eight? That's already being compared to the all-time great moments in UConn basketball. The kind of shot that gets replayed forever. And instead of cashing in on that spotlight, he's staying in Storrs.
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Mullins was likely heading to the NBA as a first-round pick. But here's the thing: there were no guarantees he'd land in the top 20. By staying, he makes significantly more money through NIL deals next season than he would have in his first NBA contract. That's a smart read of the market, and it tells you something about how serious UConn's program has become.
The 6-5 shooting guard played in 33 of Connecticut's 40 games last year, starting in 29 of them. He averaged 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 28.3 minutes per game. Not an All-American, but a real contributor to a Final Four run.
What UConn Gets Back
Mullins is rejoining forces with Solo Ball, Silas Demary, and Jayden Ross. That's continuity. Dan Hurley also just landed Nik Khamenia, a transfer from Duke, the team UConn beat to get here. And they're bringing in Najai Hines from Seton Hall, plus top-40 prospects Colben Landrew and Junior County.
Yes, they lost forward Jaylin Stewart and big man Eric Reibe to the portal. Program legend Alex Karaban is graduating too. But getting four pieces back from a 34-6 squad that made the national title game? That's building momentum.
UConn should slot into the preseason top 10 for a fourth straight year. With Mullins' decision locked in, Hurley's Huskies are set up to be one of the most interesting teams in the sport again.
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