The AZ Compass Prep basketball program has consistently become one of the top prep programs in the country, after consistently producing high-level basketball prospects annually. The program is set to have a big season this year, as numerous elite prospects will return this season to lead the charge for the program. Unfortunately for Compass, recently it was announced that superstar 6-foot-10, 190-pound senior Miikka Muurinen would not return to AZ Compass, as Muurinen's agent Teddy Archer told media outlets that his client was currently undecided on his next move and exploring pro options in Europe, Australia and other destinations. As a result, Muurinen would not be returning to the program this prep season.
This year's National Team for the AZ Compass Prep program is filled with high-major division-I talent, but no prospect is more promising than Muurinen. A native of Finland, Muurinen came to AZ Compass Prep last summer and immediately blew up nationally - rising from a completely unknown prospect to a Top 5 national ranking with ESPN and 247 Sports. Muurinen's impressive showing at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam last summer (2024), changed the game, as the 6-foot-10 versatile forward averaged 17.8 points per-game, while knocking down more than 60% of his shot attempts from the floor. Following his performance at the Peach Jam, Muurinen was tagged as the "biggest riser" following the club circuit's biggest event.
This summer, after a tremendous showing while competing in Europe, Muurinen has decided to now leave AZ Compass Prep and has now signed a three-year deal with the Euroleague club, Partizan Belgrade for the 2025-2026 season.
Currently, Muurinen has a nice list of offers for himself from colleges, which includes offers from such programs as North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, UCLA, Arkansas, Michigan, Alabama, Utah, BYU, Cincinnati, Illinois and Texas Tech. With this current decision to sign with a pro team, Muurinen would now be eligible to enter the 2026 NBA draft directly, rather than the originally expected one-year college career before entering the 2027 draft.
Arizona Preps Scouting Report: Muurinen is an absolute pro talent and a potential future NBA Lottery pick - another future NBA prospect for the AZ Compass Prep program. Muurinen is a very lengthy and skilled stretch 4-man that can play multiple positions on the floor, and has excellent versatility as a player. He is a tremendous talent with pro level experience before entering the national prep school ranks, and plays with a serious mean streak that makes his a serious competitor on the floor. He is still learning to play through his challenges on the court, but he has the intangibles as a player that you cannot teach. He is very skilled and can make shots from anywhere on the floor, with his pure shooting stroke that allows him to catch and shoot, shoot from the standstill position or make shots on the move. He can score from all (3) levels, and also plays very big inside and around the paint, which can lead to early foul trouble at times. He is an active rebounder and shot-blocker and runs the floor exceptional well, and is a very strong finisher in the open floor or in the half-court set.
