Indiana Town Renames Streets for Hometown NCAA Hero

The town of Greenfield, Indiana turned itself into a shrine this week for one of their own, and the reason involves half a second, one basketball, and a dream that came full circle.

Braylon Mullins, a UConn freshman, launched a three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to beat Duke and send the Huskies to the Final Four. The kicker? This year's championship games are happening just 27 miles from his hometown.

Greenfield's response has been pure Indiana basketball magic. The mayor renamed two streets Braylon Avenue and Mullins Drive, complete with his jersey number 24 on the signs. The local high school marquee now reads "GC IS PROUD OF YOU BRAYLON." A billboard on Interstate 70 features Mullins front and center as drivers head into Indianapolis.

When UConn coach Dan Hurley recruited Mullins from this town of 25,000, he made a promise to the family at The Depot, a local restaurant. "We're going to bring him back to Indiana for the Final Four next year," Hurley told his high school coach Luke Meredith.

That promise came true in the most dramatic way possible. At Friday's practice session in Lucas Oil Stadium, 25,000 fans showed up, and the biggest roar belonged to the local kid who made good.

The town is leaning into every Hoosiers movie moment they can find. Greenfield actually houses the original bus and Gene Hackman's car from the classic film. Caravans of fans are driving the same Historic National Road into Indianapolis that fictional Hickory High took to the state finals.

The Ripple Effect

Greenfield represents something bigger than one basketball shot. It's a reminder that small towns still produce big dreamers, and communities still rally around their own.

The Depot restaurant now displays a framed UConn jersey over the servers' station. Trucks around town sport new UConn stickers right next to Indiana Hoosiers national championship decals. Local businesses are buzzing with Mullins mania.

Mullins secured 15 tickets for family and friends for Saturday's semifinals. "Maybe people will learn about Greenfield," he said earlier this week. "It's a great place to grow up."

His twin brothers Cole and Clay, high school seniors who just signed with Division III Franklin University, will be watching their brother play on the biggest stage in college basketball. The whole town will be watching too, probably from every bar, living room, and gathering place in Hancock County.

In Indiana, they say basketball isn't just a sport, it's a religion, and right now Greenfield has found its newest saint.