Mark Pope offers 2026 4-star PF Miikka Muurinen

After an excellent showing at Peach Jam last week, Miikka Muurinen has hauled in a pair of Blue Blood offers.

On Monday, Muurinen announced on Instagram that he has received a scholarship from Kentucky head coach Mark Pope. This comes just one day after he earned an offer from Duke head coach Jon Scheyer. A 6-foot-10, 200-pound power forward, Muurinen is considered a four-star talent and is ranked No. 10 overall in the 2026 class by On3.

Suiting up for Bradley Beal Elite 16U, Muurinen was a star throughout Peach Jam, leading his squad to an E16 Championship victory over CP3, 74-67, on Sunday. Across six games at Peach Jam, he averaged 17.8 points, four rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 22 minutes per game while shooting 61.8 percent overall, 50 percent (14-28) from deep, and 90 percent from the free throw line.

Per his Instagram, Miikka Muurinen has received an offer from Kentucky.

The 6'10" forward, ranked #10 in the Class of 2026 by On3, was one of the most impressive rising junior prospects at the Peach Jam.

Averaged 17.8 ppg while shooting 14-28 from 3 for the 16u champs.

— Brandon Ramsey (@BRamseyKSR) July 22, 2024

Muurinen has seen his stock soar in recent months. He spent part of the summer suiting up for the Finland Senior National Team for the Olympic European Qualifiers and continued his impressive play into Peach Jam. He posted 21 points on 8-11 shooting in the title game over the weekend. His best performance was a 33-point showing on 13-23 shooting against Florida Rebels last Tuesday.

Pope was in attendance throughout the weekend at Peach Jam to watch Murrinen in action. Both Pope and assistant coach Jason Hart saw him excel in the title game.

“They’ve reached out and I’ve talked to the coaching staff about my future and possibly a future with Kentucky,” Muurinen told KSR following Sunday’s Peach Jam championship.

While Murrinen has yet to take any unofficial visits, he does have some on the docket moving forward, although none have been made public. As a 2026 prospect, he was unable to be contacted by coaches directly until June. Along with UK and Duke, he holds offers from the likes of Alabama, Illinois, UCLA, Michigan, Nebraska, BYU, Minnesota, and others.

Murrinen becomes the second 2026 recruit to publicly announce an offer from Kentucky, joining No. 2 overall prospect Tyran Stokes.