Braylon Mullins Arrives: Freshman Sparks UConn in Statement Win at Allen Fieldhouse
LAWRENCE, Kan. - If you didn’t know Braylon Mullins before Tuesday night, you do now.
In just his second college game, the freshman guard walked into one of college basketball’s most iconic pressure cookers - Allen Fieldhouse - and played like he’d been there a dozen times before. His first three-pointer quieted 15,000 Kansas fans.
His second one? That shut them up.
By the time the final buzzer sounded on UConn’s gritty 61-56 win over the Jayhawks, Mullins had not only introduced himself - he’d planted a flag.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t just a highlight night for a promising young player. This was a tone-setter.
A coming-out party. A 17-point performance that didn’t just help the Huskies win - it helped them breathe.
“He’s a killer,” said teammate Solo Ball, who also dropped 17 and was key down the stretch.
Mullins’ stat line was solid - 6-of-12 from the field, 3-of-9 from deep, and a game-sealing pair of free throws with 9.2 seconds left. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
What stood out was his poise. His feel.
The way he moved without the ball, the way he hunted his spots, the way he didn’t flinch in a building that’s swallowed up far more experienced players.
And here’s the kicker: this was his second game. Ever.
Mullins missed UConn’s first six contests with a leg injury - officially labeled an ankle issue, though head coach Dan Hurley later mentioned the knee was involved too. Whatever it was, it kept him sidelined until last Friday’s game against Illinois at Madison Square Garden, where he saw limited action.
Then came Tuesday - a trial by fire in one of the loudest gyms in America - and Mullins didn’t just survive it. He shaped it.
“This was the first step for him,” Hurley said. “He’s obviously going to make our team a lot better moving forward.”
And that’s the big picture here. UConn didn’t just steal a win in Lawrence.
They found something. The Huskies have been searching early this season - for rhythm, for identity, for answers - and Mullins may be one of them.
He gave them life when they needed it. His first three cut Kansas’ lead to 19-18.
His second trimmed it to 27-24 and forced a Jayhawks timeout. His third, early in the second half, made it 40-36.
Then came a slick finish in traffic. A mid-range jumper that looked like it came straight from the Rip Hamilton playbook.
And finally, those two free throws that iced the game and sent the Huskies into celebration mode.
All from a kid who, minutes earlier, admitted the nerves were real.
“The first four minutes I was in, until that media timeout, the nerves were going,” Mullins said. “But as the game went on, you just kind of play basketball. At the end of the day, it's a child's game.”
That’s the kind of perspective you don’t always get from a freshman. But Mullins isn’t your average freshman.
He was Mr. Basketball in Indiana, a consensus top-20 national recruit, and the centerpiece of UConn’s incoming class.
The only real question was how he’d adjust to the college game - especially after dominating a public school league that didn’t always offer elite competition.
Well, the answer is in. He can handle the lights.
He can handle the noise. And he can absolutely handle the moment.
UConn’s win wasn’t a solo act. Ball was clutch late.
Alex Karaban strung together a brilliant seven-point stretch. Eric Reibe, another freshman, was a force down low with 12 points and eight boards.
The Huskies were missing key big man Tarris Reed Jr., and Kansas was without standout freshman Darryn Peterson, but this was still a heavyweight battle - and UConn had the heavier punches when it counted.
And now, they’ve got Mullins.
What that means for the Huskies moving forward is significant. Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross have been serviceable on the wing in Mullins’ absence, but Tuesday showed what happens when that spot is filled by someone who can score, create, and defend at a high level.
Stewart went scoreless in 15 minutes. Ross had just one point.
With Mullins back, UConn doesn’t need those guys to carry the load. They just need to complement.
We haven’t seen the full version of this team yet. Reed has missed time with hamstring and ankle issues.
Mullins is still on a minutes restriction. But Tuesday gave us a glimpse - and it looked a lot like the kind of team that can make another deep run come March.
Next up: Mullins makes his Gampel Pavilion debut Friday against East Texas A&M, followed by a return to Madison Square Garden next Tuesday against Florida. The minutes will go up. So will the expectations.
“Braylon is nowhere near comfortable yet,” Hurley said.
Maybe not. But on Tuesday night, in the heart of Kansas, he looked right at home.