Mull it Over: Is UConn's Escape the Ultimate Men's March Miracle?

Will Braylon Mullins’ heroic heave for UConn come to define men’s March Madness? Some prior standouts may disagree.

Braylon Mullins was a symbol of fight to the foe and then some in the UConn Huskies’ latest March Madness triumph on Sunday evening.

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Mullins capped off one of the most marvelous March outings the Connecticut program has had in quite some time, sinking a game-winning 3-pointer from the cusp of midcourt to give the Huskies a 73-72 victory over the Duke Blue Devils in the closer of regional final action at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. The UConn men procured advancement to the Final Four.

Coming hours after the UConn women’s team likewise punched a ticket to the Final Four, Mullins’ heroic heave reached an immortal Storrs status seconds after it sank through the net at Capital One Arena. The national scene has wasted little, if any, time discussing its place in the hardwood archives.

BRAYLON MULLINS ARE YOU KIDDING

UCONN COMES BACK FROM 19 TO ADVANCE TO THE FINAL FOUR pic.twitter.com/GLdrvxt4wW

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 29, 2026

For example, CBS Sports analyst Grant Hill, who called the game alongside Ian Eagle and Bill Raftery, quickly placed next to the famed Christian Laettner double that closed out the 1992 regional final for Duke, one where Hill had the floor-length assist.

“That was incredible. I’m not sure I have ever been part of as chaotic but thrilling end,” Hill told Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. “This was a team showing heart, showing grit, showing championship culture and just competing to the very end and maybe better, similar, who knows? I’ll let the pundits and history judge, but I think we will be talking about that play for many years to come.”

Is Mullins’ shot enough to reach the final four of final flings? Ballislife ranks the greatest buzzer-beaters of all-time below…

4. UConn’t Believe It

How the world remembers Mullins’ muster could well depend on how UConn closes out the Final Four stretch, which begins on Saturday against Illinois (6:09 p.m. ET, TBS). Will it be the precursor to a championship or just the highlight shown during the bridge of “One Shining Moment”?

In the realm of what we have to work with, the circumstances behind Mullins’ shot work for and against its case in terms of placement on Men’s March Mount Rushmore: for one thing, Mullins’ tally was earned on a night where the Huskies missed all but one of its first 18 3-point attempts … the freshman himself was 0-of-4 before his tantalizing triple. If anything comes to define the resilience and never-say-die attitude the bracket has become renowned for, UConn sticking with it is perhaps a worthy addition to the hardwood glossary.

But equally famous in Sunday’s showcase is Duke’s dramatic collapse: the Blue Devils led by as much as 19 before the Huskies staged their comeback, completed by Cayden Boozer‘s ill-timed turnover that allowed for Mullins’ launch. It shouldn’t take anything away from what the Huskies accomplished, beyond the slightest sparkle in terms of their Mount Rushmore positioning.

3. Christian’s Devilish Dramatics

Again, one of the reasons why it’s hard to judge Mullins’ mastery for the time being is the fact that we don’t know how UConn’s story ends.

Jalen Suggs‘ trip to the bank for Gonzaga in the 2021 Final Four, for example, has a strong case on a list like this. Some could argue, however, that it loses its luster considering the Bulldogs’ mediocre output in the ensuing national title game against Baylor. At least Suggs and Co. reached the title game, as the slippers of many other Cinderellas have been shattered long before the tournament reaches its destination site.

The Duke Blue Devils ensured there was no such hangover after Christian Laettner etched himself into lifelong collegiate infamy and immortality by launching “The Shot” in the regional final round against Kentucky, later defeating Michigan by 20 in the 1992 closer. It was set up by Laettner taking a floor-length pass from Hill in the final seconds of a thriller against Kentucky, taking a dribble, and firing the foul-line fling that launched a thousand (metaphorical) angry tweets when X was merely a twinkle in the mind of Musk. At the very least, ESPN helped cement The Shot’s status with the release of the 2015 documentary “I Hate Christian Laettner,” part of its famed “30 for 30” series.

2. Cats’ Where It’s At

Whenever Villanova makes a push into the latter stages of the NCAA bracket, jubilant chaos always seems to follow: the Wildcats’ handling of the Hoyas in the 1985 national title game against Georgetown is long-remembered as one of the greatest upsets in collegiate history and a return trip to the finale proved equally, if not more, dramatic over three decades later.

While Villanova, armed with a plethora of future NBA standouts (i.e. Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart), had kept an expected pace with the baby blue bloods from North Carolina in the 2016 clash, a lasting lead was on the verge of slipping from their claws. This list could’ve well included Marcus Paige, who sank an equalizing 3-pointer with less than five seconds remaining to bring the Tar Heels back into the game.

But Villanova’s Kris Jenkins worked his way into March immortality by uniting with Ryan Arcidiacono for a full-length trip down the floor, one that ended with a 3-pointer from the top of the key that sent the Main Line and beyond into hysterics. A combination of the shot, situation, score, and site gives Jenkins almost ironclad protection in the top three on this list for years to come, especially considering it would become the final output of an accomplished collegiate career.

1. Attack of the Pack

Everything March Madness has become known for was jam-packed into one specific national title game, namely the 1983 edition between North Carolina State and Houston.

It had the start power (namely Clyde Drexler and Akeem Olajuwon of heavily-favored Houston) destined for floor time in the Association, it had the upset of Jim Valvano‘s Wolfpack taking down the Phi Slama Jama contingent, and it obviously had the buzzer-beater.

Only adding to the idea of truly fulfilling the magic of March Madness was the fact that the game-winner, featuring Lorenzo Charles putting back a Dereck Whittenburg misfire, was the almost-imperfect nature of finale. The Wolfpack’s winner was not a perfectly drawn up play out of a timeout or a well-executed trip up the court. Heck, one could’ve almost called it a slog considering the way NC State took advantage of one of the final collegiate minutes without a shot clock, eating up the last 45 seconds of action to seal the deal.

But such flaws at the end of the game only bring the game further back to school. College basketball in both the men’s and women’s arenas has always spotlighted and rewarded those able to make something out of nothing and few, if any, were able to fulfill that better than Valvano’s Wolfpack, whose exploits continue to stand as arguably the most marvelous March moment.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags