QU, QND standout Stuckman signs professional contract to play in Finland

QUINCY — Tanner Stuckman doesn’t know much about Finland.

“Well, I do know it gets cold,” he said. “it’s gonna be very cold. I made sure to pack my parka with me.”

Stuckman didn’t have much time to pack. After agreeing on a professional basketball contract Sunday night and signing it Monday morning, the Quincy University and Quincy Notre Dame graduate was on his way to Chicago Monday night. He was scheduled to board a plane to Helsinki, Finland (with a stopover in Istanbul, Turkey) on Tuesday morning. His first game with KaU Koris Karkkila in Group B of the Finnish First Division is scheduled for Oct. 10.

“The past couple days have been pretty crazy for me,” Stuckman said. “I got a text Thursday that I would be having a phone interview with this coach. That’s usually how it works. You just get a text from your agent one day saying, “By the way, you’re going to have a phone interview.’ He gives you information about the team, about the coach, and then you’ve got to go off of that and impress the coach.”

Earned all-GLVC honors in 2020-21

Thursday’s phone interview led to a contract offer made to Stuckman’s agent, Duncan Lloyd with Overtime International Sports. 

“The original plan was that I was going to fly out Wednesday, but I learned today they wanted me to fly (Tuesday),” Stuckman said as he was driving to Chicago. “So I had to hurry up and finish the rest of the packing and get on the road.”

Stuckman was a first team all-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection in 2020-21. The 6-foot-9 forward was fourth in the GLVC in scoring with 18.8 points per game and also grabbed five rebounds per game. He finished with 1,275 career points to rank among the top 20 in QU history. He also had 495 rebounds while playing in 100 games.

Karkkila, a town with a population of 8,708, is in southern Finland. It is about 50 miles from the capital of Helsinki on the Finnish coast.

Only American player on KaU Koris Karkkila roster

KaU Koris Karkkila finished with a record of 8-18 last season and a 9-12 record in 2019-20. The season begins in October and ends in mid-March. Kimmo Tolvanen is the head coach. He played 10 years professionally in Finland, with the last five coming with KaU Koris Karkkila. 

Stuckman will be the only American player on the roster. The rest of the players are from Finland.

“I know it’s a young team (average age 20.8 years old),” Stuckman said. “Basketball is played at a pretty high level over there. The tempo is different. Defenses are different. They don’t play like Americans. You’re not going to see the guys flying in doing 360-degree windmill dunks. They’re going to be extremely strong and extremely physical, extremely skilled. 

“It’ll be a little bit of an interesting experience. I know the light differences are a little different. It gets dark really quickly over there, and you’ve got a long period of time where it’s dark. I’m going to need time to adjust, but it’s going to be a really really good experience for me.”

Married on June 26, Stuckman heads overseas alone

At first, he will undergo the experience alone. Stuckman and his wife, Olivia, were married June 26. He hopes she can visit during the season.

“She was excited about it, but then she’s sad, too, because you’re missing your newlywed,” Stuckman said. “But she knew this was a dream and a goal of mine that I have been pursuing for a while. When this came up, it was a really exciting moment. It’s definitely going to be a little bit of an adjustment. It’s not going to be the usual thing that newlyweds do.”

Stuckman said he sought advice for his professional basketball aspirations from former QU standout Evan McCaughey, who played last season in Germany, and former Truman State standout Mike Carlson, who played last season in Spain.

Now it’s time for Stuckman to start his professional career.

“It’s pretty surreal,” he said. “It’s crazy. I think back to when I started at QU, and I was watching guys like Joe Tagarelli (who played in England) and McGaughey compete. Now I can officially say I’m a pro. I’ve accomplished my dreams. Now I’ve got to start forming new goals.”