GREENFIELD — Braylon Mullins wants to play for the champs.
The Greenfield-Central 6-foot, 5-inch senior guard, a 5-star recruit and one of the top uncommitted boys basketball stars in the 2025 class is no longer uncommitted.
In front of family, high school teammates and coaches, friends, fans and media at Greenfield-Central’s High School gymnasium Wednesday, Mullins announced his commitment to play for the University of Connecticut, the two-time defending NCAA men’s basketball champions.
Mullins had narrowed his choices to three schools last month, UConn, Indiana and North Carolina.
On Wednesday he made it clear he wants to play for the Huskies.
“I picked UConn for a couple of reasons,” he said. “One, it’s hard to say, ‘no’ to a back-to-back national champion. That’s the reason you want to play in college, you want to win. That’s probably the No. 1 reason, but also my relationship with the coaching staff, I had a great relationship with all four coaches and coach (Dan) Hurley he is going to get me where I want to be and that’s who I wanted to play for.”
Mullins made his announcement in front of a large crowd of supporters. He sat at a table with his family and was flanked by his high school teammates and head coach Luke Meredith and coaching staff.
When he took off his G-C sweatshirt, he donned a navy blue UConn t-shirt. Family and teammates then revealed they were wearing white UConn t-shirts.
Mullins praised the city of Greenfield and Cougar basketball fans for their great support of an Indiana kid leaving town to chase his hoop dreams at what is currently considered the best college basketball program in the country.
“It’s something special. I knew everybody here was going to support my decision,” Mullins said. “Knowing I have people to rely on around this community, it’s definitely a good thing to have. I have a whole bunch of outlets and a lot of people here I care about and they care about me. I’m excited for what’s next and glad everybody supported it.”
Mullins added that during the recruiting process the continued contact with Hurley meant a lot to him.
He heard from and received offers from a number of the nation’s top programs. Prior to knocking his list to three schools, Purdue, Michigan, Duke, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and Kansas were in his final 10. Arkansas, Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State, Virginia Tech among others had also offered and continued to show interest, but the relationship with Hurley and the UConn staff stuck out the most.
“(Assistant) coach (Luke) Murray was the one who recruited me first and he got me in touch with coach Hurley and coach Hurley offered around the end of May or early June,” Mullins said. “The reason why I picked UConn, I’ve been in touch with coach Hurley since the day he offered me. Being in contact with the head coach means a lot. There weren’t a lot of schools I was talking to where I was talking to the head coach all the time. Being able to have a very good relationship with the coaching staff helped me out a lot.
“Storrs (Connecticut) is 13 hours away from here. Being homesick, it happens to the best of us, and I just feel them making me feel like I’m at home is going to help me down the road.”
Mullins and the Cougars are just over a month away from starting their regular season. The opener is Nov. 26, at home, against Beech Grove. With Mullins as the headliner, the Cougars were also invited to play in three select shootouts/classics.
The Cougars play Ben Davis on Dec. 7 in Brownsburg as one of the games in the Sneakers For Santa Shootout. On Dec. 14, G-C plays at Southport Fieldhouse against Lawrence North in the Forum Tip-Off Classic. And, on Dec. 28 they will play in the Hall of Fame Classic at New Castle Fieldhouse against Jeffersonville and either Warsaw or defending state champion Fishers in the championship or consolation game.
Sandwiched in between the classics and tournament games is a battle against rival New Palestine, at home, on Dec. 13.
Meredith said he was proud of Mullins and his choice to go play for Hurley and the champion Huskies.
“They were all great choices, all great universities,” Meredith said of his superstar’s final three. “I’m super-proud of him really just betting on himself and to be able to leave home and be able to say, ‘I want to go be the best and play for the best.’
“(They are) back-to-back national champions, coach Hurley turns down the Lakers and then he’s coming here to Greenfield and recruiting him. Being willing to put yourself out there and go to Storrs, Connecticut and say, ‘I want to be the best so I am going to go play for the best,’ that’s something I am really proud of Braylon to stick his neck out there and try something.”
Hurley has a reputation as a tough-minded, no-nonsense type coach, and to be hard on his players.
Mullins is well-aware of that rep and knows there will be ups and downs, but he wants to play at the highest level, not just at the collegiate level, but also after college in the NBA.
“There are going to be struggles, especially as a freshman,” Mullins said. “You’re going to have to learn the hard way, that’s how you’re going to have to do it. I don’t think I’ve ever been coached to a level where coach Hurley coaches. I wanted to test that out and I want it so I can get the best out of me.”
