Sept. 25, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., Sept. 25 , 2008 - Penn State basketball senior forward Joonas Suotamo (Espoo, Finland) will forgo his final season of eligibility in order to graduate early and plans to begin compulsory service in the Finnish military, Penn State coach Ed DeChellis announced Thursday.
"Joonas has been a terrific kid and a wonderful member of our program and we support his decision," DeChellis said. "With compulsory military service still ahead of him and his ability to earn his degree in 3 ½ years, he felt it was in his best interest to leave basketball behind and move forward toward his future. We wish him the very best and thank him for his contributions to the program."
A 6-10, 245-pound forward, Suotamo played in 34 games for the Nittany Lions during his career, playing in a high of 18 as a sophomore and five last season. He scored 22 career points and grabbed 28 rebounds.
"I think this is the best thing for me to do right now looking ahead to my future," Suotamo said. "It certainly is not an emotional choice at all, but a calculation on how best to pursue my future interests. I'll never forget how great of a place Penn State is and I had a great experience playing for Coach DeChellis. I'm looking forward to be able to come back someday and make a presentation to young, up and coming Penn State film students."
A strong student, Suotamo has twice been named to the Academic All-Big Ten team. The Film and Video major has an eye on a career in Hollywood. Finnish citizens are required to serve between six months to a year in the country's military between the ages of 18 and 29. Suotamo is scheduled to earn his degree in December.