Finnish 5-star 7-footer lifts John Calipari’s 2026 class at Arkansas originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Five-star 7-foot forward Miikka Muurinen has committed to Arkansas, according to ESPN. The addition pushed John Calipari and the Razorbacks to No. 1 in the 2026 recruiting class rankings.
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Muurinen has shown off his skills and was recently featured in the Nike Hoop Summit, tallying 10 points and eight rebounds. The nickname “Slim Jesus” has stuck with him for his play on the court with miraculous efforts. At 19, the former EuroLeague star is expected to make an immediate impact next season. Arkansas beat out several other schools, including Duke, UNC, Kentucky, UCLA, and Indiana.
“Since my visit a year and a half ago, they’ve been consistent and committed to recruiting me,” Muurinen told ESPN. “They’ve always shown interest. They’ve been very consistent, and they’ve gotten to know me as a person. That’s been very important to me.”When I left my Arkansas visit, I was not only excited about the program but also about the people, and I said to myself, those are the type of people I want to be around on a daily basis.”
Muurinen is a consensus five-star, according to all recruiting services with a 93-rating at No. 8 overall for ESPN. He’s one of three top-rated players on the Hogs roster next season, including Sporting News Player of the Year Jordan Smith Jr., who is No. 2 behind Tyran Stokes.
Needless to say, Calipari’s roster will be stacked making Arkansas one of the college basketball teams to watch as they reload.
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