The Lounge: Why Bryan Mullins should make the cut

When Bryan Mullins first stepped onto the SIU Arena hardwood he immediately won over the Saluki faithful with an array of ankle-breaking crossovers and a defensive presence that defined “Floorburn U.’

As an upperclassman, the Salukis looked to Mullins to make the big play and take the big shot. And more often than not, he did. Now, Mullins is looking for his next big shot – in the National Basketball Association.

The speculation of Mullins’ future came early in the week when ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s mock NBA Draft had the Boston Celtics selecting the former Saluki standout in the second round with the No. 58 overall pick. According to various reports, Mullins has worked out with not only the Celtics, but also with the Chicago Bulls. To put this in perspective, no Saluki has been drafted since the Phoenix Suns selected Chris Carr, a 6-foot-5-inch guard, in the second round (56th overall) of the 1995 draft. Carr was a productive scoring guard for SIU, averaging 22 points and 7.3 rebounds in his final season as a Saluki before entering the draft.

So, why should any team, let alone a team one year removed from a NBA title, draft a standout guard from Southern Illinois University Carbondale?

His résumé speaks for itself. Mullins holds the career assists record at SIU and was on pace to shatter the steals record were it not for a season-ending stress fracture injury. And even though he did not end up with the all-time steals record, he managed to become only the second player in Missouri Valley Conference history to dish 500 assists and grab 250 steals. Despite missing the final nine games of the season, Mullins still captured his second straight Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year award.  

When Mullins did lace ‘em up, Southern posted a 79-41 record and .658 winning percentage. On draft night in any sport, the cliché ‘he’s a winner’ will be muttered more than a dozen times and without a doubt it is one that fits what Mullins did on the court.

Need more reason to draft Mullins? Testimonials from former coaches and teammates should do the trick.

‘A lot of point guards talk a lot, but Bryan was a leader’

Sophomore-to-be Kevin Dillard came to SIU as the star of a much-heralded freshman class. Dillard brought to Carbondale a sweet stroke, quick and slick ball handling skills, not to mention the mantel of being Illinois’ reigning Mr. Basketball.

But it wasn’t until going against Mullins in practice and playing aside him on game day when Dillard realized what did not accompany him to Southern.

“His defensive intensity,” Dillard said in a phone interview. “Last year I wasn’t a lock down defender. After playing with Bryan, my defense is something I’ll take pride in, and hopefully it will lead me in the same direction as it did Bryan.”

The MVC Freshman of the Year said he learned a lot learning under Mullins, including how to keep an even temper on the court as the team’s floor general, which is a position Dillard said needed to be the steadiest on the court. Now, Dillard said, it is his turn to carry the torch passed to him by his former teammate.

“He was a great floor leader, one of the best point guard’s I’ve ever played with,” Dillard said of Mullins. “You can’t get rattled and you can’t lose your composure. A lot of point guards talk a lot, but Bryan was a leader by example.”

Beyond Basketball IQ

Another cliché that will surely be spewed from the mouth of a television analyst will be the one describing a player as a “good kid” or “smart, heady player.” And while that might be just a saying to some, Mullins did not take it lightly.

Throughout the Valley and Southern Illinois, Mullins’ star shined on the basketball court. But his prowess in the classroom should not be overlooked. Mullins’ brainpower was not limited to the basketball court as he applied it to whenever he hit the books, graduating with a degree in finance and a 4.0 grade point average, too.

And no one appreciated that more than Saluki head coach Chris Lowery.

Lowery said if Mullins does indeed get drafted into the NBA, it would validate how things are done in a program that made bracket busting March Madness trips seem routine as it captured Valley crowns and tourney trips from 2002 to 2007.

 “He’s a hard worker he’s going to outwork everyone at his position. That what makes him special,” Lowery said in a phone interview. “He’s never going to be in trouble. He’s always going to be in the gym early and stay late. Those are the things you want from a kid who wants to play basketball professionally.”

In a league where fans criticize players’ off-the-court habits and blasé defensive efforts, Mullins would be the answer to both of those, bringing a breath of fresh air any basketball team.