We are in the thick of EuroBasket 2025, and Finland is making big noise in group play, having clinched an early spot in the upcoming Round of 16. Their headliner, rightfully so, is former All-Star Lauri Markkanen, who has erupted on a near record-breaking scoring tear through Finland's 2025 campaign.
But flying under the radar for the Finns is their youngest player, who also happens to be the youngest player in the tournament on the whole. Miikka Muurinen only turned 18 in March 2025, but the 6-foot-11 forward came into EuroBasket 2025 having already experienced minutes against arguably the second-best national team in the world. In a very small sample size of just under 10 minutes per game, the hype that Muurinen actually created was from his incredible highlight reel, including what would be a potential Dunk of the Year candidate had it happened in NBA competition.
Miikka Muurinen is making college scouts drool
What's might be most enticing about Muurinen as a prospect is that he's also showing out amongst American prep programs. Miikka plays for AZ Compass Prep, who lists 2025 lottery pick Jeremiah Fears as an alum, and holds a composite score as the 12th-ranked prospect of the Class of 2026, as well as its second-best power forward. And he's being recruited as such to boot, with recruiting buzz coming from schools all the way up to the blue blood programs, including Duke and Kentucky.
And on measurables alone, Muurinen stands out. He's a true 6-foot-10 with an eye-popping 7-foot-2 wingspan (the 'Slim Jesus' nickname is apt). But wait, there's more! He's a massive stretch 4 with face-up and post work in his tool kit, and a smooth shot to boot. But wait, there's more! What draws the eye about Muurinen's game is his sheer intensity. Exhibit A: the dunk package he showed off at EuroBasket. But he also likes to talk trash, dunk everything that is within spitting distance of the basket, and is a swat hunter too.
It's clear that Muurinen is young, and physically looks it -- he'll need to beef up his frame, and build on the mobility he already has to fulfill the potential he has as an incredible two-way big. But if I told you that a recruit profiled as Lauri Markkanen with springs like a rabbit and the attitude of a Shiba Inu (look it up, they're genuinely terrifying dogs), you can't pretend you wouldn't be all in on him as a future All-Star.
Well, his name is Miikka Muurinen. And unlike Jayson Tatum, he really is just 18.