Braylon Mullins turned 20 on Saturday. And he gave Husky Nation a huge gift to mark the occasion.

Mullins announced he is returning to UConn for his sophomore season with a highlight reel on social media and a simple caption: "unfinished business."

Since the time he committed to UConn out of Greenfield-Central High School in Indiana, it was believed Mullins would be a one-and-done in Storrs, Conn., biding his time for a season and entering the NBA draft this year.

But two things happened that changed the perception.

First, as UConn made its run through the NCAA Tournament and into the Final Four — it wouldn't have happened without Mullins' 3-point buzzer beater to beat Duke 73-72 in the Elite Eight game — it was clear Mullins was enjoying the ride. He had embraced UConn, thrived on the challenge of pursuing a national title.

And then, head coach Dan Hurley said publicly that it made no sense for any player who wasn't projected as a lottery pick to enter the draft. Instead, return to college, pick up a chunk of NIL money and work on your game in preparation for the next draft was what Hurley advised players.

He could have been speaking directly to Mullins, who most mock drafts put in the range of mid-teens to later in the first round.

It is not yet known just what Mullins' NIL package is, but Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68 implied it is lucrative.

"Mullins was projected as a first-round pick, but can play his way into the Top 10 this season and was also highly compensated where it made sense to return to college for another year," Goodman wrote Saturday.

On the season, Mullins averaged 12 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He shot 33.5% from 3-point territory.

Basketball analysts, like Goodman, weighed in immediately after Mullins' announcement about the significance of the move for both UConn and the guard.

Draft expert Jonathan Givony said Mullins made the right decision, citing ways he can improve to help both his team and his draft stock.

"Smart move by Braylon Mullins to return for sophomore season," Givony wrote. "Rated No. 27 on my board. Shot 34% from 3 and didn't impact the game enough in other areas — 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.1 FTA per game. Needs to get stronger and more versatile on both ends."

And Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports had this to say:
"Dan Hurley and the Huskies are now firmly in play to reach the Final Four for the fourth time in a five-year span."

The Huskies were the No. 2 seed in the East Region in the NCAA Tournament and upset No. 1 overall seed Duke in the Elite Eight and Illinois in a national semifinal to reach the championship game. Michigan won 69-63.

The reaction to the Mullins news was swift, starting with comments from an ecstatic Husky Nation to those from his UConn "family" of current and former players.

Posted to Instagram:

A fan on social media: “Instagram is only letting me like this post once but I want the record to show that I clicked the heart button 100 times anyways. LFG”

Alex Karaban: “I’m running around my room celebrating.”

Solo Ball, who has yet to disclose whether he plans to return for his senior season: “Another year of Braylon Mullins? YES”

Tarris Reed Jr.: “MY GOODNESS … The bringer of rain.”

Hassan Diarra: “Break the internet again with this”

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