Braylon Mullins to return to UConn men’s basketball for 2026-27 season

The Marquette Golden Eagles take on the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT on Sunday, January 4, 2026. | Ian Bethune

Rising sophomore Braylon Mullins announced Saturday night that he will return to UConn for his sophomore season. Mullins, who flashed elite shotmaking skills all season and hit one of the most iconic shots in NCAA tournament history to lift the Huskies past Duke, is likely eschewing a first round selection in this year’s NBA Draft for another shot at an NCAA title.

Mullins averaged 12 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as a freshman, appearing in 33 games and starting 29 of them. He missed the Huskies’ first six games due to an offseason ankle injury, and missed a Jan. 27 game against Providence with a concussion.

After debuting at Madiosn Square Garden against Illinois, Mullins made his presence felt immediately on the road against Kansas, scoring 17 points in 23 minutes in just his second collegiate game. Mullins was also instrumental in the Huskies’ 13-point comeback on the road against Providence, hitting six threes and scoring 24 points to help UConn win in overtime.

And of course, Mullins etched himself into March Madness history with his 40-footer in the waning seconds of the Elite Eight against Duke. His long three shocked the Blue Devils, completing a 19-point comeback and sent UConn to its eighth Final Four.

Despite being widely regarded as a first round pick, Mullins was not a lock to be a lottery selection after an inconsistent shooting season. The Greenfield, Indiana native shot just 33.5 percent from deep this season, but did flash his elite shooting skills with a deadly midrange game. Mullins shot 56.1 percent on twos last season, and while he did some scoring around the rim, most of those shots came in soft spots of drop coverage inside the arc.

With another year in Storrs, Mullins should be the focal point of a retooled offense that will also feature Duke transfer Nik Khamenia and Seton Hall transfer Najai Hines. If Mullins can translate his sharpshooting skills into better perimeter numbers, he figures to be a much higher first round pick in next year’s NBA Draft, especially with a draft class regarded as weaker than the current year.

Per The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, NBA sources saw Mullins “as a lock to be selected in the top-25 picks of the 2026 NBA Draft had he declared. Vecenie projects Mullins to be a lottery pick in 2027, presuming he can continue to improve as a scorer and fill out his currently skinny frame so he can handle NBA players defensively.

Mullins’ decision to return to school for his sophomore season is borderline unprecedented, but is a testament to the strength of the UConn program to be able to retain an almost certain first round NBA draft pick. The allure of redemption after losing to Michigan in the national championship game combined with what is almost certainly a strong NIL package made Mullins’ return a possibility. Now, the rising sophomore should anchor a starting five that will be amongst the best in the country as UConn guns for its third national title in the last five seasons.