Basketball player Miikka Muurinen returned to the United States

Basketball teen star Miikka Muurinen is in the US, and the training seems to be good.

Muurinen, 19, left the big European club Partizan Belgrade in February after only six months. Now the Finn’s eyes seem to have turned even more strongly to next season.

Coach of Minnesota-based H4 Sports Academy Mitchell Ohnstad shared a video of Muurinen’s training on Instagram. In addition to a couple of handsome dunks, some successes from behind the three-point arc as well as from closer have been selected for the video.

Basketball coach and expert Christian Palotie sees one possible reason behind Muurinen’s choice.

“I count 1+1, so I guess he’s going to the Nike Hoop Summit,” says Palotie.

The Nike Hoop Summit is an annual event where the hottest high school prospects from the United States and the rest of the world meet. Muurinen, chosen as the rising star of the fall EC tournament, is undeniably like this.

This year’s event is April 11 in Portland. The composition of the rest of the world team has not yet been announced.

Muurinen’s responsibility in Partizan remained small, especially as he became the head coach in the middle of the season Go to Penarroya was not one of the Finnish teenager’s biggest fans.

At the end of February, Muurinen got a little feel for the game in the national team’s two World Cup qualifying victories over Belgium. Palotie believes that Muurinen will still be seen on the floor wearing a jersey this season.

“Aren’t there these other high school audition camps for college that definitely get a lot of attention. I’d imagine he’s screwing them up.”

On the wall really has a big career choice ahead of him. He has to decide which university in the United States he will go to to develop as a basketball player.

Palotie sees that the ragged season is not of great importance for Muurinen’s market value, but there is a wide range of universities to choose from in the queue.

“Perhaps there are a few universities there that could have cared (about the weak season). However, there is a lot of competition for players, and with Miika, it’s about so much potential that I think the schools will still be after him like before.”

Muurinen doesn’t really have a deadline for choosing a university, but few people leave their decision until the fall.

“From the point of view of your own brand, it is better to make (a decision) before autumn, i.e. late spring or early summer. I would bet that the decision will not come within a month.”

How about big picture? What can you expect from Muuri in his first year at university?

“Depends on the environment, where you end up. How well the game suits his game. What level of school and what level of defender is on the team, for example. The default value is that he is at least quite high in the blocking statistics and there will definitely be high lights (top performances).”

“The game there itself is better suited to what he is doing at the moment than maybe the European basket.”

Muurinen has just turned 19, so he is – regardless of the measure – far from a ready player. In terms of the future, the most important thing is what is done for the future.

He’s still so raw, and the potential is wild.

Palotie especially highlights physical development, which involves, for example, moving in a small space and setting off from a tight space. Of course, it’s not good to forget football skills.

“He’s still so raw, and the potential is wild. It’s hard to judge whether this is the period of six months when the development jumps out, or whether it’s still waiting for itself.”

“It’s really important to invest heavily in a skill coach who knows what he’s doing and demands a lot from him.”