TRAVELS HAVEN'T WORN OUT PENNEY AFTER
JOURNEYING SOME 55,000 MILES THIS SUMMER, THE OLYMPIAN IS READY FOR UW'S
SEASON.
Wisconsin State Journal
Nov 11, 2000
After spending the summer and fall playing basketball around the world, Kirk
Penney was supposed to be suffering from a case of roundball burnout.
But if the University of Wisconsin sophomore guard is burned out, then
burnout should be something that's welcomed.
"I feel fine," Penney, a native of New Zealand, said this week as
the Badgers prepared for today's exhibition game against Athletes in Action at
the Kohl Center.
"You can look at it as I've been playing all offseason. But how much
fun and enjoyment have I had? That's what you play the game for."
His game looks fine, too. Penney, a 6-foot-5 guard, is being counted on to
fill a key outside scoring role for the Badgers this season, replacing the
Badgers' two departed seniors - Jon Bryant and Duany Duany. Penney's 17-point
effort in last week's 73-59 exhibition win over Branch West Basketball Academy
showed his shooting touch is healthy.
After a summer of frequent flying to Asia for pre-Olympic tournaments, a
trip to Italy and Slovenia with the Badgers and a jaunt with the New Zealand
Olympic team in the Games in Sydney, Penney is ready to make an impact on UW's
fortunes.
"Having played the best in the world and been an Olympian, there is so
much confidence that comes with that," Penney said. "Playing college
ball, there are a lot of great players. But having played at that (Olympic)
level, surely I can play here as well. Confidence is the thing I've got
going."
That, and a deadly jumper. Penney hit three long-range shots in the win over
BWBA on his way to a 6-for-10 shooting game. He also grabbed six defensive
rebounds. That performance helped bring into focus his role this season as a
second or third guard in the lineup. He shares those positions with senior Roy
Boone and sophomore Ricky Bower.
"I see Roy, Ricky and myself trying to fill the role of the two players
graduated," Penney said. "I'm just doing all I can to bring what I
can to this team, and I like to think it's similar to what the good players who
graduated brought."
Penney has had a lot of practice in the role. When school ended last spring,
he began a journey that would carry him about 55,000 miles to tournaments in
Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Taiwan. In August, he returned to Madison to practice
for the team's trip to Europe. In September, it was off to Sydney for the
Olympic Games, where he averaged 6.5 points per game for New Zealand.
Four of those points came against the United States' "Dream Team,"
including a jumper over Vince Carter. Penney laughed when asked how many points
Carter scored against him. "The point of it was just to be out there, to
be on the floor with the top American players," Penney said.
That experience shows up in preseason practice. "That was one of the
broadening experiences for him, and anytime that sort of thing happens, it
helps his presence," UW coach Dick Bennett said. "He's always played
up, so to speak, with older guys. That's been good for him."
The Games are a memory Penney is only beginning to cherish.
"Everything is just so wonderful but you don't get a chance to reflect
on it at the time," he said. "But when you look back, you smile about
it because it was an awesome experience."
