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Miro Little

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Miro Little
Utah Utes
PositionPoint guard
LeagueBig-12 Conference
Personal information
Born (2004-05-30) 30 May 2004 (age 20)
Tampere, Finland
NationalityFinnish / American
Listed height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Listed weight84 kg (185 lb)
Career information
High schoolHelsinki Basketball Academy
(Helsinki, Finland)
Sunrise Christian Academy
(Bel Aire, Kansas)
CollegeBaylor (2023–2024)
Utah (2024–present)
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–2022HBA-Märsky

Miro Little (born 30 May 2004), is a Finnish college basketball player for the Utah Utes of the Big-12 Conference. He represents the Finland national team.[1][2]

Early career

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Little started to play basketball in a youth team of his hometown club Tampereen Pyrintö.[3] He joined Helsinki Basketball Academy in 2019 and played with HBA-Märsky in Finnish second tier Koripallon I-divisioona. In 2022, he played at the Adidas Next Generation tournament with HBA in Patras, Greece,[4] averaging 23.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists over four games. Later in the same year, he moved to United States to attend Sunrise Christian Academy high school. In February 2023, Little was invited to the Basketball Without Borders camp,[5] and in April 2023, he was invited to the Nike Hoop Summit event.[6][7]

College career

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Little started his college career in 2023 and joined Baylor for the 2023–24 season. He had committed to Baylor already a one year before over several other offers. In his freshman year, Little had a minor role in the team and his playing minutes were limited,[8][9] and eventually in the end of April 2024, he registered to the NCAA transfer portal.[10]

On 7 May 2024, it was announced that Little would join the Utah Utes.[11][12]

National team career

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Youth

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Little played for Finland U16 at the 2019 FIBA U16B European Championship tournament. He played also for Finland U18 at the 2022 FIBA U18B European Championships, where Finland finished 3rd and were promoted to Division A.

Senior

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Little debuted in Finland senior national team on 25 February 2022 aged 17, in a 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifying win against Slovenia.[13] He was the first Finnish underaged player in 25 years to make a debut at the senior international level, after Teemu Rannikko. Little was named in the Finland squad for the EuroBasket 2022,[14] and for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[15] He also played in the 2024 FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament in Valencia, Spain,[16] averaging 7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in three games against Bahamas, Poland and Spain.

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023–24 Baylor 34 0 7.1 .429 .360 .722 1.2 0.7 0.1 0.0 1.7

National team

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Team Tournament Pos. GP PPG RPG APG
Finland EuroBasket 2022 7th
7
2.4
0.9
2.1
2023 FIBA World Cup 21st
5
5.0
1.8
4.6

Personal life

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Little was born in Tampere, Finland, and raised in Pirkkala, to a Finnish basketball player Kati Packalén and an American basketball player La Trice Little [fi]. His father played basketball in Finland, and later worked as a basketball referee in Finnish Korisliiga.[17][18] His mother Kati Packalén was named the CEO of the Basketball Association of Finland in September 2022.[19]

At the age of seven, Little was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.[20][21][22]

References

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  1. ^ "Miro Little - Men's Basketball". Baylor University Athletics.
  2. ^ "Miro Little, Basketball Player". Proballers.
  3. ^ Miro Little, 19, puhuu avoimesti NBA-unelmastaan, Yle, 3 September 2023
  4. ^ Miro League EuroLeague profile
  5. ^ Miro Littlelle kutsu NBA:n Basketball Without Borders -maailmanleirille, basket.fi, 10 February 2023
  6. ^ Miro, 18, pääsi valiojoukkoon – Vasta toinen suomalainen maailman parhaiden tapahtumassa, Iltalehti, 25 March 2023
  7. ^ Miro Little kohosi USA:n yliopistopelaajien eliittiin – ”Jotain on tehty oikein”, suomikoris.com, 19 June 2023
  8. ^ Sasu Salin ja Miro Little avautuvat poikkeuksellisista kausistaan – Susijengin luottopelaajat joutuivat sivuraiteelle, Yle, 25 June 2024
  9. ^ Mitä nyt, Miro Little?, Etelä-Suomen Sanomat, 1 July 2024
  10. ^ Suomi-koriksen suurlupaus Miro Little jättää huippuyliopiston, Helsingin Sanomat, 26 April 2024
  11. ^ Susijengin Miro Little siirtyy Utahin yliopistoon, Yle, 7 May 2024
  12. ^ Miro Littlen ura jatkuu Utahin yliopistossa, basket.fi, 8 May 2024
  13. ^ Susijengin kuopus Miro Little: “Pääpaino pitää olla treenaamisessa”, basket.fi, 21 February 2022
  14. ^ "Team Finland 2022". FIBA. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  15. ^ "Team Finland 2023". FIBA. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  16. ^ Susijengin pelaajatusina olympiakarsintoihin on vahvistettu, basket.fi, 30 June 2024
  17. ^ Lehtinen, Lauri (1 September 2023). "Miro Little, 19, söi pari viikkoa hampurilaisia – muutos kehossa tuntui heti". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  18. ^ "Susijengin 18-vuotias suurlupaus saa huiman näytönpaikan NBA-kykyjenetsijöiden edessä – "Merkitsee todella paljon"". MTV Uutiset (in Finnish). 8 April 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  19. ^ Kati Packalén Koripalloliiton toimitusjohtajaksi, basket.fi, 30 September 2022
  20. ^ Tähtäimessä USA ja NBA, diabeteslehti.fi, 21 August 2019
  21. ^ Miro Little, 18, on suomalaisen koripallon suurin lupaus sitten Lauri Markkasen – heittää viikossa 2 000 kertaa omalla ajalla, Yle, 30 June 2022
  22. ^ Interview: Miro Little, eurospects.com, 12 May 2023
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