What was running through UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley's mind as Braylon Mullins launched that deep 3-pointer in the final moments on Sunday?
“Well, we had it all the way," Hurley joked on CBS Mornings with Gayle King, barely 12 hours after Mullins' buzzer-beater sent UConn past Duke and into the Final Four.
Reflecting more seriously on the shot, Hurley shared, "You’re just watching the ball’s flight, tracking it. I knew it was a deep shot, but it wasn’t until I saw the replay that I realized just how far out he was.
It was tracking perfectly, and Braylon’s such a special shooter. That’s what March Madness is all about-those unforgettable moments."
King, with her own ties to Hartford from her time at WFSB, admitted she didn’t expect Mullins to take the shot. Hurley’s response? “Well, I’m happy you’re wrong.”
The sequence was set up by Silas Demary Jr.’s crucial deflection near halfcourt. Mullins snagged the ball and dished it to Alex Karaban. As Duke defenders closed in, Karaban, a seasoned senior, passed it back to Mullins, the freshman who would etch his name into March Madness lore.
"He’s an incredible shooter," Hurley praised Mullins. "He was having a solid game, but not from beyond the arc.
It was the perfect scenario-he got the ball in rhythm, right at the edge of his range, and had no time to overthink it. Alex Karaban’s pass was key, setting him up to release it smoothly."
Despite Duke’s 15-point lead at halftime, Hurley entered a locker room filled with belief and energy.
"I’ve walked into halftime locker rooms where the team’s spirit is broken, but this wasn’t one of them," Hurley explained. "There was frustration, sure, but also a lot of life and belief.
This team has weathered so much this season-injuries, nail-biters. We leaned on our resilience, our preparation, and the intensity of our practices."