The North Carolina Tar Heels have never shied away from a basketball recruiting challenge, even when it means other Blue Bloods are chasing the same recruit.
UNC’s efforts on the recruiting trail have paid major dividends recently. North Carolina brought in a pair of electric 5-star freshmen, Drake Powell and Ian Jackson, to its current roster. The Tar Heels recently landed their first Class of 2025 commitment, snagging 4-star combo guard Derek Dixon.
UNC is already getting a headstart on the 2026 recruiting trail – and that includes a recent visit to see 5-star power forward Miikka Muurinen, the 6’10” Finnish phenom who plays his prep ball for Compass Prep in Chandler, Ariz.
According to Tar Heel Times, Muurinen is one of North Carolina’s seven Class of 2026 offers.
The Tar Heels have also offered 5-star power forward Tyran Stokes, 5-star small forwards Cameron Holmes, Caleb Holt and Cole Cloer, 5-star shooting guard Jordan Smith and 4-star power forward Kendre Harrison.
2026 5⭐️ Miikka Muurinen (@mmuurinen1) tells me UNC was in to see him this past week.
Utah and Oregon have also been in contact with him a lot recently he says. pic.twitter.com/rVvVVMPRmA
— HS Top Recruits (@HSTopRecruiting) October 13, 2024
Looking ahead at UNC’s roster over the next two season, Muurinen is a massive need.
Tyzhaun Claude and Jae’Lyn Withers, both power forwards who can play at center if needed, are entering their final season of college basketball. Ven-Allen Lubin and Jalen Washington, both centers who can also play the four if needed, are juniors and will be gone in two years.
Sure, North Carolina can nab a big man or two in the transfer portal, but there wasn’t much luck with that this past offseason. The Tar Heels were linked to several top-line transfers, most notably Oumar Ballo and Coleman Hawkins, but both chose other destinations.
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