Arkansas Coach John Calipari dipped back into the Bradley Beal Elite talent pool to round out his top-ranked 2026 recruiting class with another stud.
Miikka Muurinen, a five star big man who spent last year playing in Europe after helping Bradley Beal Elite win the 16U Peach Jam Championship in 2024, is headed back to the U.S. and will join fellow BBE talent J.J. Andrews with the Razorbacks.
7’0” 5⭐ Miikka Muurinen just committed to Arkansas 🚨👀 @slam_university
After playing professionally with Partizan in Serbia, he’s headed to play college basketball for John Calipari. pic.twitter.com/WRDIwlTL6q
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) April 27, 2026
“I’m going to Arkansas to help them win a national championship and to play with a great roster of guys,” Muurinen said. “I’m excited to be around good people who are professionals and people who can show me the way to becoming a one-and-done.”
Arkansas has been on the rise under Calipari over the last several years, with back-to-back appearances in the Sweet 16, but will be looking to go a lot further with Miikka, J.J. and the top-ranked freshman class in the nation in 2026-27.
7-foot recruit no one is talking about 👀
Miikka Muurinen aka 'Slim Jesus' is one of the best players at this year's Nike Hoop Summit.
Miikka was one of the top prospects in the 2026 class before leaving the states to play professionally at Partizan Belgrade. pic.twitter.com/Q8CCbGObUG
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) April 11, 2026
After spending the 2024 high school season at Compass Prep in Arizona and playing for BBE that summer, Miikka signed a contract with KK Partizan Belgrade in Serbia and spent all of 2025 overseas, playing for Partizan as well as the Finland National Team at Eurobasket 2025 and in World Cup Qualifiers.
Miikka Muurinen is going to make his college decision tomorrow. (Kentucky, Arkansas, North Carolina, or BYU)
Last year against the best in the World he was LETHAL for Finland 🇫🇮 in the 2025 EuroBasket taking home “Rising Star”
His tape is UNREAL🤯 pic.twitter.com/GBdkTx8CtE
— NCAA Buzzer Beaters & Game Winners (@NCAABuzzerBters) April 26, 2026
Miikka suggested that Calipari has been in constant contact with him trying to bring him back to the States when he is eligible for college ball in fall of 2026. Miikka has made it no secret he has his eyes on the NBA and he said Calipari’s commitment to helping him achieve that goal was at the forefront of that decision.
“Since my visit a year and a half ago, they’ve been consistent and committed to recruiting me. 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,” Muurinen told ESPN of the Razorbacks’ staff.
“The thing about Coach Calipari that stood out was that he kept it real with me. He has had so much success with so many one-and-done players, and I really like his coaching style both on and off the court. He’ll push me hard on the court, and he won’t give up on me off the court.”
