Arkansas freshman Miikka Muurinen has landed on the 2027 Karl Malone Award preseason watch list, one of 20 players selected by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The annual honor, now in its 13th year, is named for Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone and goes to the top power forward in NCAA Division I men’s college basketball.
Muurinen arrives in Fayetteville with plenty of attention already attached to his name. He was part of Arkansas’ highly rated 2026 recruiting class that placed the Razorbacks at No. 1 nationally. He also has a strong international and grassroots résumé, having played for Team International at the 2026 Nike Hoop Summit alongside current Razorback Abdou Toure and winning the 2024 Peach Jam Championship with Bradley Beal Elite, where he teamed with current Razorback JJ Andrews.
His path to Arkansas included a stop with Partizan KK, a club in both the EuroLeague and the ABA League, before he decided in February to focus on college basketball in the United States. In the summer of 2025, he was also named the first ever FIBA EuroBasket Rising Star award winner after helping Finland to a historic fourth-place finish at the FIBA EuroBasket Championship.
Muurinen is not the only Arkansas newcomer drawing preseason recognition. The Razorbacks also placed three other players on Naismith Starting 5 Awards watch lists: Jordan Smith Jr. for the Bob Cousy Award, Jeremiah Wilkinson for the Jerry West Award and Billy Richmond III for the Julius Erving Award.
Arkansas opens the season Tuesday, Nov. 3, against UAPB in the first-ever meeting between the programs. Tipoff is set for 7 pm, with the game on SEC Network+.
2027 Karl Malone Award Candidates
Paulius Murauskas, Arizona State
Miikka Muurinen, Arkansas
Jaxon Kohler, BYU
Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje, Duke
Alex Condon, Florida
Braden Huff, Gonzaga
Joseph Tugler, Houston
David Mirkovic, Illinois
Aiden Sherrell, Indiana
Keanu Dawes, Kansas
Malik Reneau, Miami
J.P. Estrella, Michigan
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Minnesota
Caden Pierce, Purdue
Keyshawn Hall, St. John’s
Xavier Edmonds, TCU
David Punch, Texas
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Na’jai Hine, UCONN
Thijs De Ridder, Virginia
In Other News...
Arkansas Is Waiting On A Recruiting Test Calipari May Not Win
DeMarcus Henry is already shaping up to be one of the more watched names in the 2027 basketball class, and Arkansas is in the mix with North Carolina as the early recruiting battle starts to take form. For John Calipari and his staff, that means another familiar test of reach, timing and resources as they work to stay in the conversation with a high-end prospect who is drawing attention from some of the sports biggest programs.
North Carolinas push has reportedly included a significant NIL package and a visit that featured a call with Michael Jordan, a reminder of the kind of pitch the Razorbacks are up against. Arkansas is not standing still, though, as the staff continues to track other key targets in Beckham Black and CJ Rosser, with Black expected to move early and Rossers recruitment still open as the class develops. [Read more 🡒]
Calipari Just Identified Arkansass Biggest Test Before The Real Games
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Even so, Calipari pointed to one area that will tell the real story once the games count for good: whether Arkansas can turn that size into true physical presence in the post. It is one thing to look long and athletic in October, and another to make that advantage matter against opponents that are ready to test it every possession. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Offense Faces 3 Big Tests In Battle Line Rivalry
The Razorbacks got a much-needed lift from their offense in the win over Vanderbilt, finally pushing past 400 yards and showing some signs of balance again. Arkansas will need that momentum to travel into the Battle Line rivalry, where the focus shifts quickly to whether the ground game can keep giving KJ Jackson enough support to keep drives on schedule and the offense out of obvious passing situations.
Braylen Russell, Sutton Smith and Cam Settles loom as key pieces in that effort, especially if Arkansas wants to make life easier inside the 20-yard line. The other piece is finding more dependable answers in the passing game beyond the most obvious options, with Antonio Jordan among the names the Hogs are hoping can emerge as a steady target when Missouri starts forcing tougher throws. [Read more 🡒]