Penney from hoops heaven
Sunday Star - Times;
Wellington, New Zealand
Jul 2, 2000
First there was Sean Marks then Mark Dickel and now Kirk Penney. Marc Hinton
looks at the latest Kiwi making it big in the US.
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HERE'S the downside. Already that Kiwi accent is showing signs of being
obliterated by those long vowels and rolled `R's. Now for the upside. Kirk
Penney is turning into one hell of a basketballer with a magic touch that seems
to belong on the brightest stage.
Let's call it the Americanisation of Kirk. And given that he's developing
into a Penney from hoops heaven, who cares about a little copycatting from an
environment which does tend to swallow you. At 19, Penney seems to have the
basketball world at his feet - here, there and everywhere.
Already he's played this year in America's college final four for his Wisconsin
Badgers. Remember, this event ranks with the Superbowl and NBA Finals in terms
of interest and cash spinoff.
Now, in less salubrious surroundings, he's back battling away with North
Harbour's Kings, who are headed for a final four of their own. Today's clash
against the Canterbury Rams at the North Shore Events Centre is certain to
underline their NBL No 1 status.
Penney was also recently tossing up three-point bombs for the Tall Blacks as
they took the world's second-best team to double overtime in Sydney. Later in
the year in the very same stadium he will become an Olympian.
This may be one spent Penney by the end of the year, but if you're sitting
in his basketball shoes, you're just enjoying the ride.
Wisconsin first. Located in "Mad Town" Madison, it plays in the
Big Ten Conference alongside such powerhouses as Indiana, Michigan and Michigan
State. With an enrolment of more than 40,000, accounting for a sizeable chunk
of the population, it's a city appropriately crazy about all things Badger.
And when they go and make it all the way to the Big Dance, as the Badgers
famously did this year, they enter a state of delirium. This all happened to
Penney while playing as a freshman and averaging just over six points a game.
Most first-year players are lucky to play in practice, let alone a game.
"It was unbelievable," he recalls. "They're just great
memories. The experience is just hard to comprehend back here. It's just so big
over there. The media hype, the people who were so supportive . . . it's cool man."
As for putting the mad in Madison? Penney admits the wilder parts of student
life are great to be part of . . . peripherally. "The main drag is just
lined with bars down there. But you've got to stay away from that to a certain
extent. It's a business and there's a job to get done."
This year it was done so well, Wisconsin, with its slow-down offence and
hard-nosed defence, was only finally toppled by eventual winner Michigan State
in front of 65,000 fans in Indianapolis. With Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan
watching, among others, Penney even found himself on court, knocking down two
of three three-pointers to end second top scorer for his team.
"Oh my goodness, just to play in that atmosphere was amazing. I was
nervous as hell, but I thought `oh yeah, I can play at this level'."
And next year he seems certain to play more, with the two players ahead of
him in coach Dick Bennett's playing rotation the only departees. With the
nucleus of this year's team back, expectation is high in Madison.
Unfortunately for Harbour, on course for a first NBL title, it looks like
coming at a price.
Wisconsin, as it happens, is touring Italy in August and it seems certain
Penney will forego the NBL finals (August 11-12) for some Euroball with the
Badgers.
"Coach Bennett said to me `you've got the whole (northern hemisphere)
summer to yourself. I just want three weeks of you in August'.
"I will be going. I have to," he almost apologises. "I've got
to go in respect to Wisconsin. It's a business over there and they've made it
clear I have to be there if I want to be part of the programme. That's my
education right there and right now that's one of the most important things to
me."
Aside from the NBL finals, the Italian sojourn should not be too costly. He
will be here for this month's three-test series against England (July 16, 17
and 19) and the Tall Blacks' trip to Taiwan. After Italy he will be back for
the Sydney buildup.
Penney is clearly thriving under Dick Bennett, father of former Kings import
Tony and rated one of the top minds in the college game. His Harbour coach,
Tracey Carpenter, has noticed improvements in the 1.96m shooting guard's game,
most noticeably on defence, physically and in his set up for the shot.
Penney has been happy with his return to the Kiwi game - he is averaging
15.75 points on 50% shooting - and has been impressed with the Kings lineup. He
noted that impressive import Purnell Perry, the league's top scorer at 30 a
game, was so athletic "he can just jump over anybody".
The youngster, who has been inspired by Sean Marks' career and counts Tony
Bennett, now an assistant at Wisconsin, as his greatest influence, could well
be overpowering people himself before too long.
With good height for a shooting guard and so much talent, it is expected he
will make huge strides in a programme as strong as Wisconsin's.
And it could be a team that plays a similar brand of basketball to the
Badgers that is next to benefit. Like them, Keith Mair's Tall Blacks will rely on
tenacity and discipline to beat more talented opponents at the Olympics.
And like them they will look to get their Penney's worth from Kirk.
