In less than two weeks, No. 4-ranked UConn basketball will begin its 2026-27 season with a showdown against the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, but there seems to be uncertainty with regard to the status of sophomore guard Braylon Mullins after he didn't play in Tuesday's exhibition game against the No. 6-ranked Michigan State Spartans down at Breslin Center in East Lansing.

“Sources: UConn's Braylon Mullins (undisclosed) went through shootaround and part of warmups, but is not expected to play in tonight's exhibition game against Michigan State. DNP in last week's exhibition game against Syracuse. Averaged 12.0 PPG last season,” Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports shared via a social media post on X, formerly Twitter.

Despite playing Mullins, UConn basketball managed to beat the Spartans, 78-70. Nik Khamenia led the way for the Huskies with 19 points, while Silas Demary Jr. and Colben Landrew racked up 16 and 13 points, respectively.

UConn also leaned on the long ball to thwart the host team, with the Huskies torching the Spartans with 10-for-25 shooting from behind the arc, while also dishing out 21 assists on 27 field goals.

Speaking of 3-pointers, Mullins is perhaps best known to date for his stunning 3-pointer to help UConn basketball beat and eliminate the Duke Blue Devils in the 2026 edition of March Madness.

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During his freshman season in 2025-26, Mullins averaged 12.0 points on 42.1 percent shooting from the floor and 33.5 percent from deep, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 33 games, including 29 starts.

The Huskies should be able to take care of business against Gardner-Webb with or without Mullins, but the game after that will be a big test early in the seaosn for UConn, with the Michigan Wolverines challenging Dan Hurley's squad in a neutral-site game on Nov. 6.