Wisconsin Coach Kirk Penney to Be Inducted in FIBA Hall of Fame
MADISON, Wis. – Kirk Penney is having quite the offseason.
After being retained in his role as special assistant to the head coach (and getting a nice pay bump to boot), the former Wisconsin All-Big Ten player has been inducted into the 2024 2024 FIBA Hall of Fame Class.
The New Zealand native will be honored for their outstanding contributions along with former players Miao Lijie (China), Reggie Miller (USA), Danira Nakic-Bilic (Croatia), Romain Sato (Central African Republic), Skaidrite Smildzina-Budovska (Latvia), and Peja Stojakovic (Serbia), as well as coach Daniel Lowell Peterson (USA), in an enshrinement ceremony this September in Singapore.
“Being selected to the FIBA Hall of Fame is an incredible honor for me," Penney said in a statement. “More than anything, it is a testament to all the hard work done by a great group of people over 15 years. Traveling across the globe together representing New Zealand and battling the best! It was always the honor of a lifetime, so this Hall of Fame induction is uniquely special.”
Internationally, Penney is best known for playing in two Olympic Games and four FIBA Basketball World Cups for New Zealand, as well as professional stints in Spain, Israel, Lithuania, Germany, Turkey, and Australia.
Domestically, Penney is known for being a key piece to Wisconsin’s 2000 Final Four run under Dick Bennett and back-to-back Big Ten titles under Bo Ryan. An honorable mention AP All-American as a senior in 2003, Penney became the first Badger to earn consecutive first-team All-Big Ten honors (2002-03) since Ab Nicholas in 1951-52.
"Playing for Wisconsin prepared me so well for my professional and national team career,” said Penney, who appeared in the NBA with the Miami Heat in 2003 and Los Angeles Clippers in 2005. “While playing for the Badgers, I was able to compete in an Olympics and an amazing World Cup run to the semifinals. It set a great foundation for me, so being back here with the program and working with the next generation of players has been a neat full-circle moment."
Penney retired from international basketball in 2016 and professional basketball in 2018. He was inducted into the UW Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Basketball New Zealand Hall of Fame in 2022.
UW coach Greg Gard hired Penney in November as a special assistant to the head coach, a role that saw him function like an assistant coach but not prepare scouting reports. Tasked to help evolve the Wisconsin offense, the Badgers finished 17th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency in 2023-24, according to KenPom.com
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