Penney out to cash in against UNLV

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Dec. 6, 2002 | 10:23 a.m.

NEXT UP

What: UNLV at Wisconsin

When: Saturday, 9 a.m.

Where: Kohl Center, Madison, Wis.

TV: KFBT, Ch. 6

Radio: KBAD 920-AM

Penny for your thoughts?

For Charlie Spoonhour's UNLV Rebels Saturday, it will be more like a Penney in their thoughts.

Wisconsin guard Kirk Penney is the only first team all-Big Ten performer returning this season and is one of 50 players named to the preseason Wooden Award "Watch List."

And the 6-foot-5, 220-pound senior was one of the key reasons his native New Zealand finished a surprising fourth in the 2002 World Basketball Championship in Indianapolis, averaging 16.9 points and shooting 45.5 percent (20 of 44) from 3-point range against the best basketball players in the world.

"You really didn't understand what that (finish) meant until we got home," Penney said. "The whole country embraced our performance there. We were even stealing headlines from cricket and rugby, which are the two most popular sports back there."

The point guard who started in that New Zealand backcourt with Penney is a very familar one to UNLV fans ... Mark Dickel.

"Oh, you mean Sparky?" Penney said. "That's what we call him. Mark's a good buddy. He's awesome."

Penney says he keeps in touch with Dickel, the third leading assist man in UNLV history with 776 behind only Greg Anthony and Danny Tarkanian, by e-mail.

"He's playing over in Turkey now," Penney said. "He's doing a good job over there. We have a website for our (New Zealand National Team) that allows us to keep in touch and see how everybody is doing."

Penney is the first Badger to earn consensus first team all-Big Ten honors since current Dallas Mavericks star Michael Finley in 1993. He got to go head-to-head with the NBA star in the World Basketball Championships last summer and more than held his own, posting him up for a basket on one occasion and driving past him for another bucket later in the game.

"It's just a thrill for a college player like myself to be able to go out and compete against an NBA player like that," Penney said.

Penney came to Wisconsin from Westlake Boys High School in Auckland, New Zealand. One of his coaches there was current Badgers' assistant Tony Bennett, son of former Wisconsin head coach Dick Bennett.

"I wanted to go somewhere over here where I would know somebody," Penney said.

So even though Dickel is a good friend and National Team teammate, UNLV never had a chance to land Penney?

"Nah, mate," Penney said. "I knew about the school because of Mark. But Wisconsin was the only school I considered. I really am enjoying myself here. We have such an awesome group of players and coaches here which makes it even that much more enjoyable."