Though the Texas Tech basketball program's efforts in the transfer portal have dominated fan interest since the end of the 2024-25 season, there is a major high school prospect set to be in Lubbock this weekend. In fact, he would be the highest-ranked recruit to ever sign with the Red Raiders.
6-foot-10 Miikka Muurinen, a native of Finland who is playing his high school basketball in Arizona, is going to visit head coach Grant McCasland and the Red Raiders this weekend. He is a 5-star prospect ranked the No. 7 overall player and No. 2 power forward in the class of 2026 by 247Sports.
In addition to Tech, he has offers from Kentucky, Arkansas, Michigan, Alabama, BYU, Duke, Illinois, North Carolina, UCLA, and others. He has already visited Arkansas, Michigan, and Utah, and now, he's going to get a first-hand look at the Red Raiders' program.
5⭐️ Miikka Muurinen, a top-10 recruit in the 2026 class, will take an official visit to Texas Tech next weekend, he tells @On3Recruits.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 11, 2025
The 6-10 junior is the No. 1 ranked power forward in the class. https://t.co/UvnoECL5Aw pic.twitter.com/ISOEFc2wFk
As is the case with most elite high school prospects, there is tons of speculation that Muurinen might graduate high school early in order to be on a college campus in time for the 2025-26 season. However, as of now, he has not stated that reclassification is in his plans.
Just by watching a few clips of the big man in action, it is easy to see why college programs are salivating at the thought of landing him. Not only is he a physically dominant post with the body of a grown man, but he is also skilled away from the basket. In fact, he is more than comfortable when it comes to shooting the ball from the outside.
5 star 2026 Miikka Muurinen with the NBA three for Minnesota Select
— Ryan James (@RyanJamesMN) April 13, 2025
Select up 51-47 on Fury Reyes.
Miikka Muurinen followed this with a two hand dunk and a floater.
7-0 Mikka run pic.twitter.com/mEhnSq3usu
Mikka Muurinen last week in UT @mmuurinen1 @nationalhoopUSA
— AZ Compass Prep🐉 (@AZCompass_Prep) December 2, 2024
11 PPG, 8 RPG, 1 BPG, 2.5 SPG pic.twitter.com/URw5JKcC3n
2007-born🇫🇮F Mikka Muurinen has been one of the main standouts in Skopje. Standing at 6'8, Muurinen's ability to pull up from the three-point line jumps off the page. Has also displayed some glimpses of his potential putting the ball on the floor and driving to the rim. pic.twitter.com/P7F1evP8wK
— Eurohopes (@Eurohopes) August 11, 2023
If Tech can win this hotly-contested recruiting battle, Muurinen would become the highest-rated high school player to ever sign with the Red Raiders. Right now, that honor belongs to Jahmi'us Ramsey, who was a 4-star guard and the No. 32 overall player (according to the 247Sports composite rankings) in the class of 2019. Ramsey spent one magnificent season at Tech, averaging 15.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game before being only the second one-and-done Red Raider to head to the NBA Draft.
The Sacramento Kings selected Ramsey in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft. However, he has yet to solidify a spot in the NBA. Rather, he's been a productive player in the G-League for the vast majority of his professional career.
As for Muurinen, he has Texas Tech fans dreaming of what could be. The program has never landed a big man of his pedigree, so naturally, Red Raiders everywhere would love to see him don the Scarlet and Black.
It would be even better if he would reclassify to be eligible to play this season because head coach Grant McCasland and his staff need to add another capable post player to back up JT Topppin and add more depth in the paint along with backup baig man Federiko Federiko, who we assume will be granted another year of college eligibility given that he started his college career at the JUCO ranks.
Hopefully, Muurinen loves what he sees from the Red Raiders this weekend and decides to become part of the family. That's because he could be a game-changer for the program whenever he decides to make the jump to the college ranks.