New Zealander is All-Big Ten
When Kirk Penney answers the phone and a member of his family or a long-time
friend is calling, it's not rare for them to ask, "Is Kirk Penney
there?"
That is their subtle way of telling Penney that his New Zealand accent has
changed so much that they don't recognize his voice anymore.
"I get caught on it all the time," said the native of Auckland.
"I have developed an American twang."
That's not all that has changed since Penney crossed the Pacific Ocean in
1999 to play basketball for the University of Wisconsin.
Penney's body has changed. His game has changed. His confidence has changed.
And more than just his family and friends have noticed.
That point certainly was made Tuesday when the 6-foot-5 junior guard was
selected to the Big Ten men's all-conference first team by both the coaches and
media. He is the first UW player to become a consensus first-team selection
since Michael Finley in 1993.
It's a justifiable honor. Penney, who is averaging 15 points per game, has
scored in double figures 21 times and has three double-doubles while helping
the Badgers (18-11, 11-5 Big Ten) to a share of the conference title.
His 33-point performance against Marquette was unforgettable, as was his
27-point explosion in the second half that rallied the Badgers past Minnesota
at Williams Arena.
But what makes Penney's story special is that he is still just as humble as
he was when he first put on a UW uniform. That part of him hasn't changed.
"And that's the best part about him," said UW assistant coach Tony
Bennett, who spent a few years in New Zealand and started coaching Penney when
he was a teen. "He has always been a wonderful kid. He has always been
polite and humble, but with a quiet toughness. And I haven't seen him change
that way one bit. He just has a joy for life. He loves to experience different
things, but he won't let them change him."
That explains why Penney has succeeded during a transitional year when he
had to learn a new system under first-year coach Bo Ryan that forced him to
become more multi-dimensional.
He used to be content to just fire away from beyond the arc. During his
freshman and sophomore seasons, 62.9 percent of Penney's shots were 3-point
attempts. But this season, after bulking up to 227 pounds, just 43.8 percent of
his attempts were 3-pointers because he found so much success posting up
smaller and less physical defenders in the paint.
Thus, his field-goal percentage has gone up and he has nearly doubled the
number of free throw attempts that he shot last season.
"You go into a game thinking, 'What are they going to give me? What am
I going to get?' You don't know if they are going to lay off you or deny you.
You know that whatever it is, you're going to take advantage of it,"
Penney said as the Badgers prepared for Friday's quarterfinal game against either
Iowa or Purdue at the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.
Penney didn't start taking advantage of his opportunities consistently until
midway through the Big Ten season. Prior to that, he disappeared on the floor
at times in games and looked obviously frustrated when he had to spend time on
the bench at key moments of other games.
UW coach Bo Ryan said one reason for that was Penney's battle with a stomach
virus for much of January. Penney said he just had to explore his surroundings
and find his comfort level.
"People are telling me I look more comfortable out there and things are
just clicking," said Penney, who has scored in double figures in each of
the Badgers' last nine games. "Maybe there's something to that. We're just
learning and growing in the system."
It's no different off the court, where Penney admits to becoming
Americanized. He loves American steaks and pizza, and has sworn off his love of
New Zealand - lamb. He now calls Coke a soda, instead of "a fizzy
drink."
He also loves the state of Wisconsin. Penney spent some time last summer
touring the state. That included stops at the Apostle Islands and Hayward,
where he pursued his passion for water skiing.
"I would love to venture out and see even more of northern Wisconsin
this summer," he said.
Penney also won't turn down a chance to play beach volleyball, a sport that
he excels at nearly as well as basketball.
"I'm so comfortable here. I actually loved the snow when it came,"
he added with a laugh. "I can handle it if it snows this seldom. It's the
wind chills that get me. But they get everyone."
Penney isn't as big of a celebrity in New Zealand as he is in Wisconsin.
"I don't know if a lot of people follow me back home," said
Penney, whose status on campus is starting to near that of former UW star Mike
Kelley. "I don't know if being Big Ten Conference champs means much to
people back home."
But Penney will never forget his roots. After all, that's the key ingredient
to his success.
He beamed as he thought of calling his father, Paul, to tell him about
making the all-conference team.
"My dad's always been there for me. I can just hear him
woo-hooing," Penney said. "I can see it right now. It's pretty cool.
I can't wait to tell him."
Of course, Penney probably will get some good-natured grief about his accent
during the call.
"I'm kind of disappointed a little bit because my accent has
changed," admitted Penney.
But the words, the passion and the joy in his voice haven't changed.
"You are who you are. Why go change?" he said. "You want to
be as genuine as you possibly can be."
And that's why Penney is a genuine star.
Published: 9:19 AM
3/06/02
