After a disappointing home loss to the Creighton Bluejays, the UConn Huskies bounced back with an impressive victory over the Villanova Wildcats. Their next challenge is a tough Big East matchup against No. 15 St. John’s Red Storm, a team that has had UConn’s number since last season, including a previous win at Madison Square Garden.
Ahead of this showdown, UConn shared exciting news about freshman standout Braylon Mullins, Indiana’s “Mr. Basketball,” in his first collegiate season. On X (formerly Twitter), the Huskies announced that Mullins earned Big East Freshman of the Week honors for his standout performances in recent games. He scored 25 points with six rebounds in the Creighton loss and added 10 points in the Villanova win, shooting efficiently and showing his all-around game.
Concerns had surrounded Mullins and teammate Alex Karaban due to injuries, but both suited up against Villanova. Mullins played with a black knee brace and was limited by foul trouble, requiring head coach Dan Hurley to pull him out several times. Nevertheless, bench players Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross stepped up to secure the win.
Through his freshman season, Mullins is averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He joins a talented UConn roster stacked with top recruits and impactful transfers, following in the footsteps of recent freshman standouts like Liam McNeeley and Stephon Castle.
As UConn prepares for Wednesday’s clash with St. John’s and looks ahead to the Big East and NCAA tournaments, expectations are high for Mullins to continue making a major impact.