IU basketball 'has done a great job' recruiting Braylon Mullins. But top programs circling now, too. (2024)

GREENFIELD – Luke Meredith had a policy against answering calls on his cellphone from out-of-state numbers. Too much spam.

But the Greenfield-Central boys basketball coach had to set aside that approach this week. After lunch Tuesday, he was talking with an assistant coach from Kansas when another assistant from Michigan State called and left a voicemail.

Braylon Mullins’ recruitment has officially gone national.

“It blew up so quick,” said Mullins’ father, Josh. “That’s what we weren’t expecting. Not like this.”

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There are a few reasons, most notably coaches were able to see the 6-5 Mullins play this weekend for the first time in person this spring during an evaluation period. Mullins did not disappoint. Playing with his Indiana Elite 17U team on the Adidas 3SSB circuit in Bryan, Texas, Mullins shot 6-for-6 from the 3-point line and scored 25 points Friday night in a blowout win.

That performance came in front of North Carolina coach Hubert Davis, who was watching Mullins’ teammate, 6-11 Malachi Moreno. Davis personally called Mullins on Monday to offer him a scholarship.

“I wasn’t really expecting coach Davis to call,” Mullins said. “I was expecting (assistant coach Sean May). When he called, we had a good 30-minute conversation. He said he watched me Friday night and that he’s going to be recruiting me hard now and had interest. He offered me right on the spot. I’m completely grateful for it.”

Purdue coach Matt Painter, who been recruiting Mullins for a year, also offered on Monday. Kansas coach Bill Self called Tuesday evening and offered. He picked up an offer from Missouri, too, after he averaged 18.0 points during the four games in Texas and shot 42% from the 3-point line. In 13 games on the 3SSB Adidas circuit, Mullins is averaging a team-leading 19.6 points and 1.6 steals and shooting 44% (48-for-109) from the 3-point line.

In addition to those four new offers (as of Tuesday evening), Mullins is receiving new interest from Alabama, Baylor, Michigan State, Ohio State, Tennessee, UConn and Virginia. That is on top of schools that previously offered scholarships. That list includes Butler, Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech.

“After the weekend, I probably had five or six phone calls right after school,” he said. “It was a little unexpected for me. I heard all these coaches were going to show up and watch us on Friday night and they continued to show up through the weekend. I felt like our team was just playing good basketball. We showed every team why we are 13-0.”

It is probably not surprising on the timing of Mullins’ recruiting explosion. Not only was this the first weekend college coaches could watch prospects in person (there are two more in June and two in July), but the transfer portal — where many programs have focused recruiting energy and resources — has slowed with the majority of transfers committed to new programs. Except for the mostly regional schools that have been recruiting Mullins, this weekend was the first opportunity to see the Greenfield-Central star in person.

“I don’t know if there’s one answer to why they are calling now,” Josh Mullins said. “He always had the talent. Now they are seeing it, so he’s going to get some calls. That’s one thing he doesn’t love. But it’s part of it.”

Mullins said he is planning to take a visit to Michigan on June 3 and will likely visit Michigan State on the same trip. He is also planning to take an official visit to UConn on June 25.

“My job is easy,” Meredith said. “It’s not like you are dealing with a kid with questionable character. He doesn’t do anything stupid. He doesn’t drink or party, just an All-American kid from a great family. It’s easy to brag on him every time somebody calls.”

Mullins, who averaged 25.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 3.2 assists per game and shot 43% from the 3-point line as a junior for 24-1 Greenfield-Central team, said he is also planning to get to Indiana for an official visit in the “early fall” with Moreno and Heritage Hills’ star Trent Sisley, who is also on his Indiana Elite team. Moreno is averaging 13.7 points and 9.2 rebounds for Indiana Elite and Sisley is averaging 13.8 points and 6.6 rebounds, while shooting 15-for-34 from the 3-point line.

“We’ve talked briefly about all three of us playing at the same school,” Mullins said. “But we’re all trying to figure out what fits us best. We’ve definitely talked about it. But it’s small talk for right now.”

Mullins said his original plan was to cut down his list at some point after the July AAU season, then take visits and announce a decision prior to the season. With new schools coming in, that timeline could change. Josh Mullins said, as of now, the decision could come during the first week of high school basketball practice (mid-November).

“He wants to go check out some campuses, whether that is North Carolina, Alabama, Kansas, UConn. He definitely wants to get back to IU. I told him he should go see those places and see if he likes them. Just see if you like the campus.”

Braylon believes the recruiting boom may also have something to do with his perception as a prospect. If coaches believe he is a catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter, that assessment is incorrect. His current national ranking of No. 108 in the class on the 247Sports composite also underestimates his ability.

“Some coaches did say they underestimated my athleticism,” Mullins said. “Knowing me as a shooter but now seeing I can do more than that. I felt like this weekend I was playing good defense all around, being a scrappy ‘2’ guard. Guarding my level of competition. Coaches said they felt like I was perfecting that ball screen action with Malachi. That’s grown on me, too. I think passing and defense, added with the shooting, those areas stood out this weekend.”

Though his recruitment basically doubled overnight, Mullins said the schools that were connected with him before the weekend have “built relationships” that are important to him. Josh Mullins said IU in particular “has done a great job” recruiting him.

“Those relationships are important to him,” Josh Mullins said. “He wants to know you. Some teams have an advantage because he lives here. Kansas, UConn, North Carolina, I don’t know if he knew he could get those. But when he did, you give them an opportunity because of what’s on the front of the jersey. You at least have to go check it out.”

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.