Braylon Mullins vs. Christian Laettner shots: How UConn's last-second heroics compares to 1992 Duke buzzer beater

March has an ability to turn anyone into a hero, regardless of what they do with the rest of their basketball career.

Braylon Mullins has a bright NBA future, but his legacy at UConn is secure after an improbable shot to complete a stunning comeback against Duke and send the Huskies to the Final Four.

Even as time passes, Mullins' name will be mentioned alongside some of the other March greats who sank shots of a lifetime in the NCAA Tournament, from Kris Jenkins to Lorenzo Charles. The name that might be most appropriate, though, is Christian Laettner.

Here's a look at how Mullins' shot compares to Laettner's against Kentucky in 1992. 

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Braylon Mullins shot vs. Duke

UConn struggled mightily from 3-point range on Sunday against Duke, starting out 1-of-18 from beyond the arc, and Mullins himself was 0-for-4 from long range before he had the opportunity to redefine his game and the Huskies' season.

After a Cayden Boozer pass was deflected as Duke tried to play keep-away and use up as much of the clock as was possible, Alex Karaban passed up on a contested shot to get the ball to Mullins, who hoisted up the only shot he could take with time winding down. Mullins drilled a long-range 3-pointer to give UConn its first lead since the opening two minutes of the game and send the Huskies to the Final Four in improbable fashion.

The shot wasn't a buzzer-beater, but with 0.4 seconds on the clock, there wasn't much of anything Duke could do to answer. 

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Christian Laettner buzzer beater vs. Kentucky

Laettner was already a Duke great before he sent the Blue Devils to the Final Four in 1992, but his shot to take down Rick Pitino and Kentucky in overtime is considered one of the greatest moments in college basketball history.

Facing a 103-102 deficit with a trip to the Final Four on the line, Duke had 2.1 seconds and a full court to make something happen. Grant Hill heaved the ball all the way to Laettner, who was waiting in front of the free-throw line, and Laettner dribbled once, turned around and sank a shot to keep the Blue Devils' title hopes alive. 

Between the star power of the game, the back-and-forth nature of the game itself, the improbability of scoring with 2.1 seconds when starting from the other end of the court and Laettner's own polarizing personality, the moment had just about everything required to become an unforgettable piece of college basketball history.

Duke went on to win its second consecutive national championship, defeating Indiana and Michigan.

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How Braylon Mullins shot compares to Christian Laettner buzzer beater

History will be the final judge of where Mullins' shot ranks all-time. It might have been unfair, or at least incomplete, to place Laettner's shot in history the day after it happened in 1992. Still, it's clear UConn's finish against Duke is going to go down as in March Madness lore.

Laettner's shot has some advantages that Mullins' doesn't. It was a true buzzer-beater, while Mullins left 0.4 seconds on the clock. It also set the stage for a national championship, while the end of UConn's story is still unwritten. The game that preceded Laettner's shot would have been a classic even without that final moment, as neither team gained much separation at all in a star-studded, back-and-forth affair.

With that being said, the comeback angle of Mullins' shot is something Laettner's lacks. UConn trailed by as much as 19 against Duke, and there were plenty of moments down the stretch in which it looked like the Huskies' efforts were going to come up short.

Laettner's shot was also a designed play. Duke only had 2.1 seconds to work with, but Mike Krzyzewski set the play up the way he wanted it. Mullins' shot was improvised. UConn wasn't even supposed to have the ball, and no one was expecting a Huskies win while trailing by two without possession, even if the door wasn't totally shut. 

Only time will tell whether Mullins' shot ranks right up there with Laettner's in college basketball history, but many of the elements that made Laettner's shot legendary were present at Capital One Arena on Sunday.

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