Dan Hurley and his Huskies entered this season with a clear mission:  erase the pain of last year’s disappointment and chase the standard they set during their run at a potential three-peat. And so far, they’ve done just that!

UConn has opened the season by winning five of its first six games, including its recent dominant 72–49 victory over the Bryant Bulldogs. But even with the strong start, Hurley hasn’t had luck on the injury front. Key pieces have been in and out of the lineup. But there might be good news on the way.

According to reporter Joe Arruda, Hurley revealed that Braylon Mullins “had his first live day in practice yesterday,” and he expects both Mullins and Tarris Reed Jr. to be “game-time decisions vs Illinois on Friday.”

The Huskies have jumped out to a 5–1 start despite missing the player many thought would be their most dynamic freshman in years: Braylon Mullins. The preseason Big East Freshman of the Year and one of the most highly recruited guards in the nation suffered an ankle injury in practice early in the season. With a six-week recovery timeline, the news naturally took some of the wind out of the excitement in Storrs.

To make matters worse, Dan Hurley and his side are also without Tarris Reed Jr., their leading scorer and rebounder. His absence was felt immensely during their close game against No. 4 Arizona, where the Huskies fell 71–67. And with more tough games on the schedule, getting this roster healthy has become a top priority.

However, the recent update doesn’t necessarily mean both will suit up in the next game, but it definitely gives Huskies fans something to hold onto. With Illinois, Kansas, and Florida lined up in three of their next four matchups, having Mullins and Reed Jr. back would be a huge boost for Hurley. Facing top-25 opponents without a full roster is never easy, and getting even one of them healthy could make all the difference.

Especially if that one man is Tarris Reed Jr. The senior center has already had its share of injuries this season. He missed both the exhibition games as well as the season opener, then came back and played three straight, averaging 20 points and 9.3 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game. Just as he was finding his rhythm, he hurt his ankle right before the matchup against Arizona.

So getting Reed back to full fitness would be a massive lift for Dan Hurley and the Huskies. But one player who hasn’t really been able to show his true potential is freshman Braylon Mullins from Greenfield, Indiana, and coach Hurley has big expectations for him.

Dan Hurley on Braylon Mullins

Coach Hurley knows all about coaching NBA-caliber players and future lottery picks. Freshman Braylon Mullins has long been viewed as a first-round talent in next year’s draft and is expected to be a key piece of the Huskies’ success this season. He hasn’t been able to show that yet because of the ankle injury, but with Hurley now confirming his return could come sooner than expected, the expectations around Mullins remain sky-high.

“We haven’t been healthy. We’ve not been able to get healthy or get the group together at all. And it’ll be really nice to get Braylon back. I mean, Braylon is going to have a big impact, obviously. He’s getting closer to returning. He’s making great progress. He’s been in some things in practice, so that’s positive. And yeah, he’s going to make a big impact on the team,” Hurley said.

When your coach says something like that about you, the pressure to perform naturally shoots up. But that level of expectation is normal for a five-star recruit. Mullins is a 6-foot-6 perimeter sniper who arrived at Storrs as a McDonald’s All-American and the reigning Mr. Basketball of Indiana, an award previously won by Kyle Guy, Gary Harris, Eric Gordon, Sean May, and Cody Zeller.

So it will definitely be interesting to see if Mullins and Reed Jr. can help steady the UConn ship against top-25 opponents, or if this season takes a turn similar to last year’s struggles. Stay tuned to find out!