New Zealander has chance to make Final four

By Steve Addy

<addy@lasvegassun.com>

LAS VEGAS SUN

March 24, 2000

 

[Note:  This article has been condensed to only include info on Penney]

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- UNLV guard Mark Dickel was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the first round last week, but there is still a New Zealand player with a chance to reach the Final Four.

 

Wisconsin freshman guard Kirk Penney will carry his homeland's banner Sunday afternoon when the Badgers (21-13) battle Purdue (24-9) in the all-Big Ten final of the West Regional at The Pit.

 

Penney, from Auckland, New Zealand, has had moments of glory as a backup shooting guard for the Badgers. Sunday's game will be his 33rd appearance of the season, breaking Wisconsin's freshman record, and he has scored in double-figures three times. He had a career-high 17 points on Jan. 15 against Purdue in the first of six starts.

 

In the Badgers' 61-48 victory over LSU on Thursday night, Penney had five points in 12 minutes, hitting 2-of-6 shots off the bench.

 

"It is a thrill to have a chance at the Final Four," Penney said Friday. "I don't think they can get the games on CBS back in New Zealand, but they're keeping up with the results. They get everything on the Internet."

 

Penney (6-foot-5, 205) was recruited by Wisconsin last year after playing for player-coach Tony Bennett, the son of Badgers coach Dick Bennett, in the New Zealand developmental league. Dickel played in the same league two years ago and his

Wellington club beat Penney's North Harbor team in their only meeting.

 

"I don't know Mark too well because he's three or four years older, and he was already at UNLV when I was coming up," Penney said. "I paid attention to UNLV because of Mark and I was happy to see him have such a big season. I was hoping we could play each other in the Tournament, but we went to different regionals."

 

Penney and Dickel might soon be teammates, however. Dickel is already on New Zealand's national team that will play in the Sydney Olympics, and Penney plans to participate in tryouts in June.