5-star Finnish forward pushes Arkansas class to No. 1

Five-star Finnish 7-footer Miika Muurinen committed to Arkansas and elevated John Calipari's 2026 recruiting class to No. 1 in the country, according to ESPN.

Muurinen, 19, who played at multiple U.S. high schools, took an official visit to Arkansas in 2024 before signing to play professionally in Serbia at Partizan Belgrade.

"Since my visit a year and a half ago, they've been consistent and committed to recruiting me," Muurinen told ESPN on Monday. "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 gives the Razorbacks four potential five-star prospects in the 2026 class along with guard Jordan Smith Jr., forward JaShawn Andrews and wing Abdou Toure.

"Miikka is very excited to play for Arkansas. He already knows the other three freshmen well and can't wait to play with them," said Muurinen's agent, Teddy Archer of TAA Sports. "He wants to be held to a high standard, held accountable, taught pro habits, and, most of all, win a championship."

Muurinen, who has represented Finland's senior national team 15 times, said his relationship with Calipari clinched his commitment.

"The thing about Coach Calipari that stood out was that he kept it real with me," Muurinen told ESPN. "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. Cal is a funny guy off the court; he keeps it light."

Muurinen played at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., in 2023-24 and at AZ Compass Prep in Chandler, Ariz., in 2024-25.

--Field Level Media