For a split second, time stood still.
The ball left the hands of Braylon Mullins, from well beyond the arc, with the UConn Huskies’ Final Four hopes in the balance. Inside Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., thousands watched in awe as the ball sailed through the air, then hit nothing but net. Just like that, a freshman from Greenfield, Indiana, had become a March Madness legend.
For the first time in over five years, Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, hosted the men’s college basketball Final Four once again. The competition included the one-seeded Arizona Wildcats and Michigan Wolverines, the two-seeded Huskies and the three-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini. On April 4, Indianapolis hosted the semifinals leading up to the highly anticipated national championship. UConn defeated Illinois 71-62 to clinch a spot in the final, followed by Michigan prevailing over Arizona 91-73 later that night.
By Monday, April 6, the stage was set and the trophy sat waiting to be hoisted by the victors. Stakes were high, and each team came in with its own path. Michigan had a dominant run through the Midwest region, with statement wins over the Howard Bison, the Saint Louis Billikens, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers, before their runaway victory over Arizona.
UConn’s path through the East region told a different story, despite this being their third championship appearance in the last four years. They showed resilience early, defeating the Furman Paladins and the UCLA Bruins, even surviving a close 67-63 battle against the Michigan State Spartans in the Sweet 16.
Then came their Elite Eight match-up against the one-seeded Duke Blue Devils. It seemed as if all was lost early for the Huskies in this game as they trailed 44-29 at halftime, with the Blue Devils leading by as many as 19 in the first half. Then a miracle happened, and UConn clawed its way right back into the game. With under three minutes left in the game, the deficit was just four. Each team traded buckets down the stretch, and then, with Duke clinging to a two-point lead, they turned the ball over late. It ended up in the hands of Mullins, and he didn’t miss. That shot was not only a game-winner but a homecoming. Just 25 miles from where he grew up, he had carried his team to Indianapolis.
Mullins might have been from a small town, but he was far from a stranger to the spotlight in his home state. He was named Indiana Mr. Basketball at Greenfield-Central High School after averaging 32.9 points per game, paired with 7.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He took his talents to Connecticut and started 29 of 33 games, averaging 12 points per game while shooting 44% from the field.
Back in Indianapolis for the national championship, the Huskies and Wolverines were once again center stage in a close game. UConn trailed 29-33 at halftime, with hopes of another second-half comeback. But sadly, Mullins, finishing with 11 points on 4-17 shooting, ran out of March magic and fell just short, losing 69-63 to Michigan, who ended a 37-year championship drought. Michigan’s junior guard Elliot Cadeau was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
Even without cutting the nets, the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team still became part of a story that will never be forgotten, all built in part by a freshman from none other than Greenfield, Indiana, who found himself on college basketball’s biggest stage.
In a state where sports run deep, Mullins’ journey feels familiar. Just one year earlier, Jack Kiser made his own run to a national championship with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, representing the same Indiana hard work and determination: two years, two players, two paths, same Hoosier roots.
So now the question remains: who’s next? And what small town in Indiana will they call home?
