INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Even though he hails from a state where Peyton Manning ruled the sports world, the Fab Five and Tom Brady turned Indiana native Josh Mullins into a dedicated Michigan fan.
Just how big of a Wolverines fan? He named his oldest son after star Michigan receiver Braylon Edwards.
Now, UConn's breakout star, Braylon Mullins, will try to take down the family's favorite program with the national title on the line Monday night. But there's
no doubt where the family's allegiance lies.
“It's UConn all the way,” Josh Mullins told The Associated Press, who was seated near the front row with his wife and twin sons for Friday's open practice. “I tried to get all of them to buy in on (Michigan). When I was growing up, you know, the Fab Five. I was a huge football fan, that's why I like Brady.”
The eldest member of the Mullins family has been in high demand this week from both sides of this March Madness finale.
He did a podcast this week with Edwards, though he’s never met the ex-receiver in person, and was hopeful of meeting Jalen Rose, Chris Webber and the rest while they were in Indianapolis doing some TV work over the weekend.
UConn (34-5) fans are excited to meet him, too, since the Huskies likely wouldn't be here without the sensational play of his oldest son.
Braylon Mullins made the long 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to take down Duke, the tourney's top seed, in the East Region final, then made another crucial 3 with 52 seconds left Saturday to beat Illinois 71-62.
It was his only basket of the second half, setting up the clash — and potential family feud — against Michigan.
"In my household, growing up, it was Michigan football, Michigan basketball,” Braylon Mullins said Sunday. “That's what my family and friends were watching. So having people around me who are probably going to be rooting for Michigan means a little more in this game, just to be fun. But at the end of the day, it's just another game.”
Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau controlled a lot of Saturday night's win over Arizona despite shooting only 5 for 17. Coach Dusty May says those shot stats aren't as bad as they look because, at least once, Cadeau was missing on purpose.
In a twist of coaching genius, May instructed Cadeau to bounce the ball high off the backboard as a way to get it to 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara, who was dealing with Arizona's 7-4 Motiejus Krivas for much of the evening.
“When you look at the stat sheet it says a missed shot and a put-back,” May said of his guard's stats line, which also included 10 assists, five rebounds and four steals.
Cadeau confirmed this. On Michigan's first possession, he drove to the hoop and Krivas came over to try to stop him, so Cadeau threw the ball high off the glass to set up an easy put-back for a then-wide-open Aday. The center finished with a career-high 26 points.
“You've got to learn new tricks and stuff to get the ball,” Cadeau said. “It's pretty hard. Something I've never done before, never been taught before, but I think me and Aday got established connections on those type of passes now.”
Michigan could end a Big Ten drought without the national title that dates to 2000, when Michigan State's "Flintstones” team — led by Mateen Cleaves out of Flint — beat Florida to win the championship.
The Wolverines, of course, are more focused on bringing the second title back to campus — the first since 1989.
But May said he's well aware of what a win would mean to the conference, which has ballooned from 11 to 18 teams since it last cut down the nets at the Final Four — as good a sign as any about the changes that have enveloped college sports over the last quarter century.
“We’re competing against the SEC, the Big 12, the Big East, all these other leagues,” May said. “The better we can do as a group, as a league, and it also helps financially as TV contracts are renegotiated and things like that. So, we have to do well for us and for the Big Ten if we want to continue to be on the cutting edge and hopefully be in the premier basketball league in the country.”
The Big Ten has won the last three national titles in football.
This marks the 50th anniversary of the last undefeated team in college basketball — Bob Knight's 1975-76 team at Indiana.
Some two decades after that Hoosiers team made history, May served as a student manager for Knight in Bloomington.
The Michigan coach said there was a planning-and-preparation aspect to Knight's work that he has tried to emulate.
“You’re figuring out solutions or contingencies in advance, and if those become a problem you’re ready, as opposed to just always being shocked at what’s in front of you,” he said.
Part of the equation, May said, is related to an emotion commonly associated with Knight.
“Obviously there’s a fear element and a fear of disappointing him, that you wanted to be thinking ahead, you wanted to be on your toes,” May said. “You’re always anticipating what’s next.”
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
