Braylon Mullins Is Staying at UConn and NBA Teams Are About to Regret Passing on Him

UConn just locked in one of the best shooting prospects in college basketball for another season, and the national title race just got a whole lot scarier. Braylon Mullins, the 6-foot-6 freshman who drained that absolute dagger 35-footer to beat Duke and send the Huskies to the Final Four, announced Saturday he's returning to Storrs for his sophomore year instead of entering the NBA draft as a borderline lottery pick.

Think about that for a second. A projected first-round pick, a former five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American who was ranked No. 17 on ESPN's NBA draft big board, is choosing to stay in college and develop. That's not something you see every day, and it tells you Mullins believes he can boost his stock even higher with another year under Dan Hurley.

From Inconsistent Freshman to Breakout Threat

Last season, Mullins averaged 12.0 points and made 33.5% of his 3-pointers, but here's the thing: he was dealing with an ankle injury that sidelined him for the first six games. Even hobbled, the kid made at least five 3-pointers in a game on three separate occasions. That's the kind of upside that makes scouts salivate. When healthy next season, expect him to be an obvious breakout candidate for a Huskies team already loaded with talent and aiming for its fourth Final Four in five years.

UConn Just Built a Preseason Top-5 Team

Mullins isn't coming back alone. Dan Hurley landed Duke transfer Nikolas Khamenia on Saturday, a 6-foot-8 former top-15 recruit who averaged 5.7 points and 3.3 rebounds this past season. When Blue Devils starters went down with injuries, Khamenia stepped up in the ACC tournament and put up 10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 41.7% from three in three games. He's expected to start alongside Mullins next year.

All-Big East guard Silas Demary Jr. is also back in the fold. If backcourt mate Solo Ball returns as well, the Huskies will roll into next season as a legitimate preseason top-five team with championship DNA baked in.

The NBA just got a reminder: sometimes the best move is staying put and proving yourself again at the highest level of college basketball.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.