Less than 20 miles from his new stomping grounds at Welsh-Ryan Arena, sophomore guard Justin Mullins discovered his love for basketball on his childhood courts in Oak Park, Illinois. He spent countless hours on the hardwood, honing his craft.
Oak Park River Forest High School basketball coach Phil Gary said Mullins maintained his tireless motor whenever he’d enter the gym, setting the standard for his future players to strive toward.
“(We) reiterate all the time how Justin was just dominant every day in practice,” Gary said. “Walking into the gym as a coach, you see Justin Mullins was our best player, and it wasn’t even close … He didn’t take a practice off.”
But long before Mullins became the first Division I commit from his high school in more than a decade, started 27 games as a true freshman at Denver and returned to the Chicago area to play at Northwestern, the guard’s family instilled in him a belief to continuously push his own personal limits — both on and off the court.
Mullins said wide-ranging support kept him committed to the sport, regardless of the obstacles he faced during his journey. Whenever the horn blared, the guard could always find family cheering him on from the stands.
“My grandpa and grandma, they’ve always been at my games since I was five,” Mullins said. “I’ve always had that family support. It’s been a big part of the culture for me.”
Once the 6-foot-6 wing threat arrived in the Mile High City, he immediately made his presence known, starting in the Pioneers’ season-opener and tallying double digit points in his second collegiate game. Facing New Orleans on Nov. 25, Mullins flashed his breakout potential, pouring in 27 points on a 12-of-14 shooting clip.
During his freshman campaign, Mullins averaged 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game for the Summit League program — the fourth-highest mark in the conference. During that period, Mullins said he learned vital lessons about contributing beyond the statsheet and doing the little things to help his team win.
“That first year really taught me how to embrace my role on the team,” Mullins said. “I didn’t have a lot of plays run through me — I just did the little stuff, got steals on defense, (got) those extra rebounds and kickout threes to help my team push forward.”
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Although Mullins excelled on the court in Denver, his family received devastating news during that year. Following his grandfather’s cancer diagnosis and plenty of deliberation with trusted peers and mentors, Mullins announced his entrance into the transfer portal on April 10.
Within a week, a team that didn’t offer him a scholarship out of high school put on the full court press in an attempt to sign the rising sophomore. A month after coach Chris Collins and the Wildcats punched their first March Madness ticket since 2017, Collins faced a familiar dilemma, setting off to engineer a return trip to the Big Dance.
With his defensive anchor in then-redshirt senior guard Chase Audige declaring for the NBA draft, and with then-sophomore guard Julian Roper II departing the program, the coach set his sights on the transfer portal — where the local product eyed a homecoming of his own.
To Collins, the former Pioneer embodied the essential traits of former NU cornerstones.
“He’s a local product, great kid, high character, good student,” Collins said. “I just remembered back to the development of Scottie Lindsey and Vic Law — guys who were 6-(foot)-6, 6-(foot)-7 … We helped them get better and as they got older, they turned into really good Big Ten players.”
Although he considered five final schools on his second proverbial decision day, Mullins said he knew he was right where he belonged once he reached the Evanston campus.
He said there wasn’t a particular sight that clicked, rather a conglomeration of what he needed in a school — from a supportive coaching staff with a clear vision for his development to the unparalleled facilities and education he’d gain access to.
Most of all, the Oak Park native was home, close to the people he loves. With his grandfather showing positive signs in his battle against cancer, Mullins said he’s thrilled to be able to play in front of his entire family once more.
“They’ll probably be at every home game,” Mullins said. “It’s definitely just lightened his mood — (and) everybody’s mood.”
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To prepare for the enhanced physical toll that the grueling 20-game Big Ten slate poses, Mullins consulted his former AAU coaches, Julian and Stanley Boateng, who helped him develop both physically and mentally while fine tuning his skillset.
Through two-a-day sessions and plenty of refinement, Mullins added 10 to 15 pounds of muscle to his frame before the start of preseason, according to Julian Boateng.
“His work ethic is unbelievable,” Boateng said. “I’ve been around a lot of players, especially through coaching AAU and high school and playing — Justin’s work ethic is one of the highest I’ve seen. He loves being in the gym.”
When Mullins’ number was finally called, with the ‘Cats facing McKendree in a season-opening exhibition game Wednesday night, the sophomore took just 17 seconds to make his first imprint on the statsheet, crashing the lane for a fastbreak lay-in.
He made his presence felt on both sides of the ball, constantly lurking in passing lanes and notching 14 points, four assists and three boards. As always, Mullins’ athleticism immediately jumped off the page, handing Collins a crucial piece to his ever-evolving puzzle.
Boateng said Mullins’ performance showcased his immense potential, which the AAU coach and trainer said can take the sophomore as far as he wishes.
“Everyone’s dream is to make it to the NBA, but I think he has a great chance to make it,” Boateng said. “The scouts say it, (and) the agencies I talk to say it.”
As for the sophomore, he said he’s taking everything day-by-day while embracing the educational and athletic opportunities in front of him.
While Mullins’ only individual goal is to fill his role to the best of his abilities, the local kid possesses big plans for team success.
“We definitely want that Big Ten Championship, and I just want to give back and help my team in any way I can,” Mullins said. “Whenever I get in, I just want to have a positive impact.”
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Twitter: @jakeepste1n
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