Duncan Kuqi
| No. 36 – Free Agent | |
|---|---|
| Position | Forward |
| Species | Stoat ( Mustelidae ) |
| Gender | Male |
| Nickname(s) | |
| DK | |
| D-Cooch | |
| Personal information | |
| Born |
March 6, 1998 Paterson, NJ |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 238 lb (108 kg) |
| Shoots | Right |
| Career information | |
| School | Mustelid Michigan University |
| FBA draft | 2018 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11th overall |
| Selected by the Dakota Bikers | |
| Pro playing career | 2018–present |
| Career history | |
| 2018-2022 | Dakota Bikers |
| 2022-present | Edmonton Excavators |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Contract information | |
| Contract year | 2024 |
| Player Contacts | |
| (IC) Agent | Qovapryi |
| (OOC) Creator | Unknown |
| (OOC) Actor | Unknown |
| (OOC) Usage | Ask me before any use |
Biography
"Duncan Valon Kuqi (Stoat, born March 6, 1998) is the son of Altin and Leonora Kuqi, a Kosovar Albanian stoat couple which moved from Kosovo to New Jersey in 1997 – shortly before the outbreak of a war that killed almost 10,000 of their compatriots, and saw more than 850,000 dispelled from their home country. Despite being strongly tied with Albanian culture, Altin and Leonora looked with favour at the United States as a place to where they could rebuild their life: they both were proficient in the English language (Altin was a teacher assistant at the Furry University of Pristina, where Leonora was trying to pursue a degree in Medicine) and came from a decently wealthy background for Kosovan standards. Shortly after settling down in Pequannock Township, New Jersey, they gave birth to their first son – who they gave the first name of Duncan as a way to honor the country that had saved them from war.
Eventually Altin and Leonora relocated to Paterson, New Jersey, where Duncan was joined by a second child, Brian, in early 2004. Basketball ran in the Kuqi family’s blood: as a youngster Altin had played basketball at a semi-professional level in Kosovo together with his brother Shaban, who’d emigrated in Sweden instead and whose son, Gjon, would carve himself a pro career there as well as getting a spot on Sterling Bengtzing’s #VägenTillTokyo project. It was natural for Duncan to follow his relatives’ steps – especially when a growth spurt projected him above most of his peers. Duncan’s father took quick notice of his son’s talent and helped him enroll to Wayne Hills Furry High School, one of the most competitive schools at state level.
A naturally gregarious, ambitious and determined character, Duncan flourished in the predator-heavy environment of Wayne Hills – the young stoat making the starting five in his sophomore year and heavily contributing to his team’s cause, up to a 33-1 run and a state title in his senior year. Most universities in the East and Midwest sought to recruit him, but he ended up accepting a scholarship from Mustelid Michigan University as he saw an opportunity for him to start as power forward from his freshman year since the team hadn’t yet managed to replace Mark Kanter III (Wolverine, F) who’d declared for the FBA the year before. Another reason beyond his choice was Duncan’s great admiration for otter superstar and former MMU alumnus Scoonie Barrett (Otter, F/C), which made the temptation to fill his shoes at power forward even greater for the young stoat.
Duncan’s first season in college basketball was one of adaptation: he quickly cut himself a spot in the starting line-up and posted 14.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, his name starting to pop up on national radars as MMU continued its affirmation as one of the brightest basketball programs in the nation under the guidance of long-time head coach Jeffrey Brauer (Scotch Collie). However, he decided against declaring for the big leagues after his first season and instead opted to remain at college to bulk up and better his game in the post.
The stoat’s efforts were awarded: together with junior RaeAnne Brookins (Tayra), senior Moses Omeruo (Giant Otter) and the addition of freshman point guard Martin Kreilinger (Prairie Dog), Mustelid Michigan narrowly lost the 2017-18 FCAA Finals, beating the mark set by the team led by Barrett in 2013 which had bowed out one round earlier. In his sophomore season Duncan averaged 19.4 points and 7.6 rebounds, earning himself a nod as a First Team Furry All-American and scoring a career high of 33 in the semifinals of the FCAA tournament against Pinion State. After the end of the season, conscious that it would be tough for his team to repeat his feat one year later, the stoat opted to declare for the FBA Draft together with both Brookins and Kreilinger - hoping to fulfill his journey to basketball domination
Outside the court, Duncan comes off as a confident, almost brash individual who will stand up for his teammates against any menace from the outside. This has led to a couple scuffles with rival players in his younger days and some disciplinary measures taken against him, but under Brauer’s guidance the young stoat has learned to keep his fiery instincts under control and focus on his own game first.
As both his parents, Duncan is of Muslim religion but not observant: he drinks alcohol, doesn’t fast on Ramadan but doesn’t eat pork (because of tradition). Unbeknownst to his parents, though, he is keen on representing his Kosovan Albanian roots and feels Albanian nationalism really close to his heart, although he doesn’t fully understand it and mostly takes it as a matter of pride."