The Duke basketball coaching staff still has yet to cement a commitment from a member of the class of 2025, but there might be one more option on the table after it was announced that one of the biggest risers in the class of 2026 might jump up a year. The news was first reported by HS Top Recruits.
Miikka Muurinen is currently the #6 overall prospect and #1 power forward in the 247sports rankings for the class of 2026. Originally from Finland, Muurinen currently plays his high school basketball at Compass Prep in Chandler, Arizona. Born on March 4th, 2007, Muurinen is still seventeen years old but will be eighteen by the time he would roll around college in 2025.
Miikka tells me he is considering a reclass to 2025. https://t.co/dwdGdI5Ozs
— HS Top Recruits (@HSTopRecruiting) September 22, 2024
Muurinen has shot up from the #44 prospect at the beginning of the summer all the way up to the top six after leading his AAU team, Brad Beal Elite U16, to a Nike EYBL Peach Jam Championship. Per Travis Branham of 247sports, "He has great size, length, and fluidity to go with a very impressive skillset possessing a polished jumper. Muurinen is a dynamic stretch-four who drills shots from deep but is also comfortable attacking off the bounce. When he gets to the rim, he will rise up and finish with authority."
The 6' 10" 185-pound stretch-big has held an offer from Duke since July and also has offers from Alabama, Cincinnati, Illinois, Texas Tech, UCLA, BYU, Michigan, Kentucky, and North Carolina. He has a visit scheduled to Duke this upcoming weekend.
With Jon Scheyer and his staff still waiting for a commitment from either the 2025 or 2026 class, Muurinen is another big that would fit well in Durham with his versatile wing skillset.