Sunnyslope basketball retiring Royce Woolridge's jersey number 22 on Wednesday
Royce Woolridge was not just a prolific scorer during his stellar Phoenix Sunnyslope basketball career.
He was the guy who greeted everybody with a smile and a helping hand, no matter who they were.
"One of his greatest attributes was his humility," said Sunnyslope coach Ray Portela, who was an assistant under Dan Mannix in the late 2000s when Woolridge starred for the Vikings. "Here is a kid who one night might go out and score 40, and the next morning would be selling donuts for the school business club.
"His classmates loved him. He never thought he was better than anyone else and always helped those in need."
On Wednesday night, Sunnyslope is giving back to the former 6-foot-3 guard, retiring his jersey number 22 before taking the court to play Laveen Cesar Chavez.
Woolridge led Sunnyslope to the 2009 state championship and back to the state final his senior year in 2010, when he averaged 30 points a game. He was a two-time All-Arizona player and was the state's Player of the Year.
Woolridge, the son of former NBA player Orlando Woolridge, went on to play at Kansas, Washington State and Grand Canyon, before playing professionally overseas. He is highly involved in the community these days helping youth in basketball and in life.
He credits his mom Victoria, who sent him to Sunnyslope, thanking her for "allowing me to have the best basketball experience I could."
"It means the world to me to get my jersey retired at Sunnyslope," Woolridge said. "The Sunnyslope area has a culture and community unlike many places so being recognized as a part of that is an amazing feeling."
Between Mannix and Portela, Sunnyslope has been one of the most consistently strong programs in the state dating to the early 1980s.
It was important for Woolridge to finish his college career not far from where he grew up in Phoenix, playing at GCU, where he averaged 10 points in the 2014-15 season.
Mannix said he won't be able to attend the ceremony because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols. But he said in a text that working with Woolridge was a pleasure and a privilege.
"He was enormously talented and played his best at the biggest moments in the biggest games," Mannix said. "I've always appreciated his competitiveness, toughness, honesty, loyalty and integrity.
"He believed that individual goals were subservient to team goals. He was a great teammate. Coaching Royce was a stroke of good fortune and a blessing. His mother Victoria did a remarkable job of raising him and keeping him grounded."
Woolridge said he also is thankful for Mannix and Portela and his club coaches, Kenny Mullins and Anthony Ray, for spending countless hours in the gym with him.
"I feel as if going to Sunnyslope High School was one of the best decisions of my life," Woolridge said. "I learned so many valuable lessons and built friendships that have lasted a lifetime. I feel the whole community played a role in my development as a person and a basketball player."
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sunnyslope basketball retiring Royce Woolridge's jersey number 22
