Braylon Mullins is more than a big shot. He's been UConn's missing piece

Braylon Mullins hadn't hit a 3-pointer in the first 39 minutes and 59 seconds of Connecticut’s Elite Eight game against Duke before Alex Karaban passed the ball to him for the eventual 40-foot game-winning shot with under a second left. It’s a shot that represented more than a punched ticket to the Final Four in Indianapolis. "It's like a dream come true, dream scenario, made-for-TV movie or — I guess it goes right to streaming now," UConn coach Dan Hurley said.

Indiana’s Mr. Basketball from last season sent his team back to his home state to compete for a third national championship ring in the past four years. REQUIRED READING: Braylon Mullins watched his shot 'countless' times, but Final Four is UConn freshman's focus "You play for those moments," Mullins said after the game .

"You dream about that. … That's a one-of-a-kind experience. " It was also a moment that depicted one of the roles the Greenfield, Indiana native has grown into for Hurley’s program this year: reliable and exuberantly confident shooter in key moments.

"This is kind of what I’ve dreamed of, and this is the position that I wanted to put myself in coming out of high school," Mullins told USA TODAY Sports in Philadelphia ahead of the Men’s NCAA Tournament. On a team of veterans like Karaban, Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr. , Mullins plays with an edge when he’s making shots, something that was missing from UConn’s roster last year.