Any college coach awake and active is likely on the recruiting trail right now. The portal era is unrelenting, and Mark Pope is proving that he's willing to work the phones until the absolute final buzzer.
Five-star Finnish pro Miikka Muurinen was heavily linked to Kentucky for a campus visit last season, but the trip never materialized, and Pope's staff seemingly dropped off in contact as Muurinen explored the NBA. However, with an official announcement looming, the momentum in Muurinen's recruitment shifted dramatically over the weekend. Pope has officially rekindled talks in a last-minute effort to pull the dynamic European prospect to the Bluegrass.
Big Blue Nation will not have to wait long to see if the late push worked. Muurinen has announced he will be committing bright and early on Monday morning at 10 a.m. ET.
Taking a EuroLeague Detour
Muurinen was a consensus five-star standout before making the bold decision to jump to Europe in search of professional development. Unfortunately, his stint with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia did not go exactly as planned, and his anticipated move to the NBA is no longer in immediate sight.
Averaging 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, Muurinen found his playing time heavily restricted overseas and, after legendary head coach Zeljko Obradovic departed, friction with the new staff, specifically led to the big falling entirely out of favor in the rotation.
“I partly understand the coach’s comments. I’m still a young player, and I try to improve in every area every day," Muurinen explained. "Playing for a EuroLeague-level team was a tough school, but that’s exactly why I joined Partizan. Obradović and I were clear from the start. He knew I would only stay at Partizan for a year and then go to the U.S. Apparently, Peñarroya didn’t know this.”
With his European chapter now closed, Muurinen is entirely focused on college; with NIL the way it is, who can blame him? His final list of options features a heavy-hitting top nine of Arkansas, BYU, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, and NC State (Tennessee made a brief push, but after loading up in the portal, the Volunteers appear to be out of the running).
Potential Fit
Kentucky could desperately use a player of Muurinen’s caliber, especially if Malachi Moreno decides to stay in the NBA Draft (as unlikely as that may seem).
Scouts have routinely compared the 6-foot-10 Finnish star to a young Lauri Markkanen. Muurinen possesses the rare ability to score effortlessly at all three levels, switch between the wing and the low block, and play well above the rim. He will dunk over you and on you.
If Kentucky manages to land him, and if Moreno ultimately decides to return for another season, the Wildcats would possess one of the most physically imposing lineups in college basketball.
Slotting Muurinen in at the power forward spot, in rotation with Ousmane N'Diaye, with Kam Williams at the three and Alex Wilkins at the two would create an absurdly long, versatile core. Add in 6-foot-4 Zoom Diallo running point, and the Wildcats would boast a lineup almost impossible to shoot over.
On Monday morning, we will find out if Pope's late recruiting magic can make this super-sized dream a reality.
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