That's Kirk Penney's attitude after the second
day of the National Basketball Association pre-draft camp at the Moody Bible
Institute. The 6-foot-5 guard, formerly of the
However as the final seconds ran out, Penney missed a three from the top of
the key and his team, which included former Oklahoma star Hollis Price,
suffered a 76-73 loss to a squad that included former Weber State standout Jermaine Boyette.
The miss was Penney's first in crunch time, though he earlier air-balled a
wide-open three. Twice during the final 4 minutes he nailed three-pointers and
earlier in the half he made a three-point play off a pump fake in the lane.
He led his team with 15 points, making five of 13 shots and 3 of 7 threes.
"You feel like you can play out there; it's just a matter of getting
comfortable," he said. "Everyone is watching and you're being
evaluated and you want to make sure you put your best foot forward."
Two-thirds of the way through, Penney has enjoyed a solid camp. He averaged
12.5 points in the first two games, hitting 10 of 24 shots and making three of
10 threes.
The two-time all-Big Ten choice made five of 11
shots Wednesday and scored 10 points.
He missed his first 5 three-point attempts at the camp but in the second
half Thursday made three of four at one point, proving what scouts have known
about him all along and then some.
"He's a little quicker than people think," said Marty Blake, the
NBA's director of scouting. "He's a pro shooter and certainly he's as
competitive as anybody."
On-the-court competition at the camp concludes today for the 65 players in
attendance. Players will undergo physicals and psychological testing through
the weekend.
For Penney, the experience has allowed him to cross paths with some of his
college rivals. Jerry Holman, who played at
There's also the gallery, which includes many recognizable NBA executives
and coaches.
Penney would have to be blind not to notice.
"You have a (look) and then you spin back and (tell yourself), 'Focus,
focus,' " he said. "It's pretty cool looking
around and seeing Dominique (Wilkins) and Phil Jackson. It's fun to be in the
environment and you just want to do as well as you can."
From the
