INDIANAPOLIS – This time, Braylon Mullins didn’t wait for the buzzer.

Less than a week after his memorable heave to beat Duke in the Elite Eight, the Connecticut freshman made a pair from 3-point vary in the first three minutes to set the tone for the Huskies’ 71-62 win against Illinois in the Final Four.

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“I think it was the flow of the game, but coming into the game I knew I needed to shoot it with confidence coming off last Sunday just to have that flow, that momentum,” Mullins said. “Seeing the first two go in, it just boosts all the confidence for you to keep shooting. I think it just happened within the game.”

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Braylon Mullins hits late three to ship UConn to the title recreation

With the recreation tightening late in the second half, UConn turned to poise and execution as every possession carried championship weight.

Braylon Mullins delivered the defining second, knocking down a late three as the Huskies pushed through the remaining minutes to secure their place in the national title recreation.

Above, Braylon Mullins #24 of the UConn Huskies shoots a three‑pointer against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half of the males’s Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 4, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

His teammates also had a good feeling: “When he hit that first one I kind of knew it was a going to be a good day. Once he hits that first shot and he’s aggressive, he’s kind of unstoppable, to be honest with you,” said junior ahead Jaylin Stewart.

“His game’s always on point,” added freshman middle Eric Reibe.

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With the recreation still in the stability and the Illini cutting a 14-point deficit to a four-point UConn lead with under a minute to play, Mullins made another 3-pointer from the wing to secure the win and a matchup against the winner of the second national semifinal between No. 1 seeds Michigan and Arizona.

“Really, just since he stepped on campus he’s had such a great maturity to where I just want him to be himself and not let the moment get to you, don’t let any external pressure get to you,” said senior ahead Alex Karaban. “Because at the end of the day, everything is amplified here. But you’re just playing basketball.”

Mullins completed with 15 factors on 5 of 14 capturing, including 4 of 7 makes from deep. He had been mired in a long capturing stoop, making a mixed 11 of 59 3-pointers in his previous 9 video games and just 5 of 25 in the Huskies’ first 4 event video games.

Again and again this NCAA Tournament, Mullins has proved this stage isn’t too massive for him to deal with.

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“I think he’s one of the best freshmen in the country,” Stewart said. “One of the best players in the country, honestly.”

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Illinois vs UConn, title‑recreation stress. See pictures

Andrej Stojakovic #2 of the Illinois Fighting Illini drives to the basket against Solo Ball #1 of the UConn Huskies in the first half of the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Even against an opponent from the vaunted Big Ten and with his household in attendance for the national semifinals, the Greenfield, Indiana native remained poised and helped the Huskies stand a win away from the seventh national championship in program historical past.

“The way he’s playing is phenomenal as a freshman,” said senior guard Malachi Smith. “Braylon doesn’t really talk that much, but he talks to us on the court. And that’s what we need. Even when he’s not hitting shots, that’s what we need. He has the mamba mentality of going to the next play.”

After he was held in test until the remaining seconds against the Blue Devils, Mullins’ capacity to get into a circulate in the Final Four helped the Huskies take a 37-29 halftime lead after briefly falling behind 22-21 with seven minutes until the break.

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But he went cold coming out of the locker room, lacking his first 5 makes an attempt from the area as the Illini started to cut away at the UConn benefit to make it a 63-59 recreation with a minute left.

All all through this season, UConn veterans such as Karaban have preached to Mullins the significance of remaining assured even if his photographs aren’t falling. Those classes have continued to repay: On the next possession, the soft-spoken freshman drilled his game-clinching jumper.

“You’ve always got to shoot with confidence,” Mullins said. “The set was going to be run for anybody on the team, you’ve just got to shoot with confidence. Just trying to find the best look on the floor and I know our point guards are going to get us the ball, so I think that was the biggest shot I hit tonight.”

Overshadowed by this late-game magic are the little things that Mullins continues to do even when his shot isn’t falling, teammates said. In the second half against Illinois, that included a pair of steals that helped the Huskies turn a 44-36 game with 17:08 to play into a 13-point lead just two minutes later.

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“He gets it done every night. Even if he’s not hitting shots, he impacts the game in so many ways. He’s just a special player,” Stewart said.

But it’s a cold-blooded scorer that Mullins has played a starring role. Shot by shot, he’s building a postseason résumé full of shining-moment memories that will long outlast what could be a one-and-done run with the Huskies.

“We all know what kind of a shooter he is and what kind of scoring ability he has,” said Reibe. “And we really need his confidence. If we bring that together, we’re going to have a good night on Monday.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Braylon Mullins delivers again for UConn in Final Four win over Illinois



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