ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Even though nobody has ever seen Kirk Penney dunk while
wearing a University of Wisconsin men's basketball uniform, don't think that he
can't do it.
"I even dunked for my New Zealand team," said the Badgers'
6-foot-5 junior guard from Auckland.
But Penney has limited his dunks with the Badgers to the occasional slam on
a breakaway in practice.
"I don't know why I haven't dunked in a game," said Penney.
"But I'm going to get one, one of these days. I'm glad you brought that
up."
Call it part of the Penney mystique.
He has done so much already in his career, including leading the Badgers
(12-10, 5-4 Big Ten Conference) in scoring this season with a 14.1 per-game
average heading into tonight's game against Michigan (8-10, 3-5) at Crisler
Arena.
His 33-point performance against Marquette is still the highest point game
by a player in the Big Ten this season. He scored 17 points while playing with
the flu at Penn State. He had 19 while playing with a worse virus against Minnesota.
He twice has been named Big Ten player of the week.
Yet there is still much more that he can do. And nobody knows that more than
Penney.
The physical part of the game has become easier for him. He has developed
his game where he is no longer just a sniper, and he can post up defenders for
easy buckets inside.
But there have been times when he has disappeared in games as he continues
to find his niche within UW coach Bo Ryan's offense. The latest occurred this
past Wednesday during the Badgers' 69-60 loss at Northwestern when he didn't
score in the final 14 minutes and took just nine shots in the game.
Don't think that doesn't bother Penney, whose frustration can be seen on his
face when he isn't involved in a game. Just don't expect him to throw any blame
around anywhere but at himself.
"That's a part of a game I have to work on," he said. "I have
to contribute and make plays and try to get the ball. It's all of us. We all
have to try to do what we can do to get the good shot."
Penney concedes that he's still a streaky player. And he hopes another hot
streak will begin tonight against the Wolverines. But his goal is to become
more consistent, which he thinks can happen by keeping more of an even keel
mentally.
He is not a good loser, which is a good thing. But the trick is finding a
way to make his frustration work for him during the next game. He's better at
that this year than a year ago, but he's still not where he wants to be.
"You try to express it the next time you play or the next time you're
on the court because your worst frustrations kind of build up. You have to
harness them," he said.
"You don't want to get too concerned and dwell on the game too much
where it does consume you and controls your attitude, controls your personality
and controls everything. You want to leave the game where it is and learn from
your mistakes."
Penney is an artist, so he takes his mind off the game by doodling. He
caught himself doodling aimlessly during a class Thursday, less than 24 hours
after the loss to Northwestern.
"I can't be doing that," he said with a laugh.
But it helped. He came to practice Thursday afternoon with a new attitude,
ready to take on Michigan.
"I try to think ahead as soon as the game is done," he said.
"You can dwell on a game you lost or played badly in so long that it can
get you down on and off the court. But you have to get over it and focus on the
next game."
Just as important, Penney doesn't dwell on his good games, either.
"You can't get too high," he said. "You can't get so
emotionally involved where you're laughing with the wins and crying with the
losses. It's fine to do that at times, but you've got to keep it in
perspective."
Sometimes Penney appears to be the least emotional of the Badgers. Nothing
is farther from the truth.
It's like the question about whether he can dunk. Like everything involving
Penney, it's always a matter of when, not if.
"Just wait," he said with a smile.
Published: 8:04 AM
2/02/02
