Braylon Mullins and the Connecticut Huskies had a memorable year under head coach Dan Hurley. UConn went 30-6 overall during the regular season, finishing second in conference play (17-3), behind Rick Pitino and the St. John’s Red Storm (18-2).
Connecticut received a No. 2 seed in the East Region of the 2026 NCAA men’s college basketball tournament as a result. The Huskies rolled through their early competition, first defeating the No. 15 seed Furman Paladins 82-71. Next to fall was the No. 7 seed UCLA Bruins, 73-57. UConn then overcame Tom Izzo and his No. 3-seed Michigan State Spartans 67-63 to face Jon Scheyer and the No. 1-seed Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight.
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UConn Huskies players congratulate Braylon Mullins after his last-second 3-pointerAmber Searls-Imagn Images
Mullins made March Madness history when he hit his iconic 35-foot game-winner in the 73-72 win against the Blue Devils. The Huskies won their Final Four game 72-61 against Keaton Wagner and the Illinois Fighting Illini before losing in the national championship game to Elliot Cadeau and the Michigan Wolverines, 69-63.
Although Mullins hasn’t publicly announced his decision on whether he is returning to Storrs, Connecticut, the Huskies did receive news on a player who will join the team for the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season.
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Najai Hines is a freshman forward who spent last year with the Seton Hall Pirates. He appeared in 31 games for the Pirates. The 6-foot-10 freshman showed a lot of promise, averaging 6.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game and 2.2 blocks per game in only 18 minutes per game.
The Plainfield High School graduate arrived in South Orange as the No. 71 overall prospect by 247Sports and is currently ranked the No. 27 overall player in the 2026 NCAA transfer portal.
Mullins went to social media to react to his potential new teammate signing with Connecticut. Mullins shared a screenshot of the news on his Instagram story. In the photo, Hines is seen grabbing the sides of his jersey with the word “COMMITTED,” along with another image of him crossing his arms in confidence.
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Mullins has until April 21 to jump into the men’s transfer portal before it closes.
Related: Postgame Handshake Between Geno Auriemma, Dawn Staley Catches Attention
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.