Indiana All-Star and Mr. Basketball Braylon Mullins (1) rushes up the court Saturday, June 7, 2025, during the Indiana vs. Kentucky All-Star game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UConn Freshman Guard Lands Big Prediction

Originally posted on UConn Huskies on SI
By Connor Mardian | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 7:00 AM ET

While a lot of attention in collegiate athletics is on the sphere of college football and deservedly so, the clock is quickly turning towards college basketball. On November 3rd, fans will be able to pack Harry A. Gampel Pavilion to see the Huskies take on New Haven, which resides in the Northeastern Conference after just moving to Division I athletics in early July.

Joining this UConn side is a squad brimming with talent. 247Sports has tallied the 9th overall recruiting class from 2025, which includes five-star Braylon Mullins, four-star Eric Reibe, four-star Jacob Furphy and three-star Jacob Ross. Not to mention two four-star transfers, Malachi Smith and Silas Demary Jr., who were snagged through the portal.

While each addition to head coach Dan Hurley’s team is prized in one way or another. Mullins is touted to be one of the best freshmen in the nation. Being ranked as the No. 12 player in the land by 247Sports comes with its attention, and also its expectations from pundits across the country.

CBS Sports’ Issac Trotter broke down his biggest questions in his latest piece, “Burning scheme questions for Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybansta and every five-star freshman in college basketball.”

Trotter's burning question for Mullins was, "How does he hammer long closeouts?"

"Mullins is one of the premier shot-makers in the Class of 2025 who chose an offense that has a four-year sample size of generating a million unguarded catch-and-shoot 3-pointers," Trotter wrote.

"This marriage is going to work, but it could be elevated by how Mullins can attack long closeouts. Opposing defenders will know the scouting report. Can Mullins make them pay consistently when they aggressively try to take away 3-pointers? Mullins can hit floaters and runners. He can finish above the rim. He's shown he can make reads as a playmaker. He's going to make open shots, but Mullins can be one of the best freshmen in the country if he's just as dangerous at punishing over-aggressive defenders.”

Mullins is joining a UConn side that posted 24.5 three-pointers per game last season, while notching just a 34.5% clip, which ranked 124th in the nation. Despite its woes from beyond the arc, Hurley’s squad was still able to be a consistent shot-making side as it culminated the 41st-best field goal percentage team in the nation at a respectable 47.51%.

This season, the Mullins and the Huskies are going to have to start off hot, as a tough non-conference schedule is followed by an enduring conference play. Meanwhile, for the UConn women’s team, its own conference schedule was filed recently, as they look for another undefeated conference record.

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