Roby leads AP all-state girls basketball team
Sydnee Roby isn’t much of a rah-rah type. Her play on the basketball court does the talking.
“She’s just always been a workhorse,” Milwaukee King coach Craig Machut said. “I have a job to do. I’m going to do it.”
This year the Milwaukee King junior did it better than any player in the state. A 6-foot-4 center, Roby averaged 17 points, 11 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game and not only earned her second straight first-team all-state selection from The Associated Press but also was an unanimous pick and the organization’s state player of the year.
Also claiming a top honor was La Crosse Aquinas coach Dave Donarski, who edged Appleton North’s Joe Russom for coach of the year.
In an era when big players are trying to expand their perimeter skills, Roby dominated in the paint and helped King win big the past three seasons. Playing one of the state’s toughest schedules, the Generals are 60-15 in her three seasons with a state berth last season and a sectional final berth this year.
This season she posted a career-high in shooting percentage (61.2%).
The AP honor is the second of the week for Roby. On Monday, Gatorade announced her as its state girls player of the year.
“She’s excited about it. Her mom is excited about it and her teammates are excited, too, because they see how hard she works,” Machut said. “They see how selfless she is. She spends more time passing than any post I’ve ever seen."
Roby posted 14 doubles-doubles in scoring and rebounding. She scored a season-high 27 points in a 64-63 loss to Montini Catholic of Lombard, Ill., on Jan. 6. She also went for 24 points on 7of-9 shooting and grabbed 14 rebounds (10 offensive) in an 81-69 victory over Milwaukee Vincent on Feb. 15 that gave King a share of the City Gold Division title. She then sank 11 of 12 shots for 23 points in a 66-57 sectional final loss to Oak Creek.
Her play caused a number of highmajor Division I programs to come to watch King play or practice.
“We’re just scratching the surface of how good she could actually be, which is both awesome and kind of frightening,” Machut said.
2017-’18 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-STATE TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR Sydnee Roby, 6-4, jr., Milwaukee King COACH OF THE YEAR Dave Donarski, La Crosse Aquinas FIRST TEAM Sydney Hilliard, 5-11 jr., Monroe Sydney Levy, 5-8, sr., Appleton North Hailey Oskey, 5-10, sr., Seymour Sydnee Roby, 6-4, jr., Milwaukee King (unanimous) Shemera Williams, 5-9, jr., Milwaukee Academy of Science SECOND TEAM Kari Brekke, 5-5, sr., Appleton North Lexi Donarski, 5-10, soph., La Crosse Aquinas Caitlyn Harper, 6-1, sr., Arrowhead Erin Howard, 6-2, sr., Madison East McKenna Warnock, 6-2, jr., Monona Grove THIRD TEAM Natalie Andersen, 5-11, jr., Mukwonago: Savanna Crockett, 6-1, sr., Milwaukee Vincent Shay Frederick, 5-6, sr., Hortonville Jayda Jansen, 5-9, sr., Sun Prairie Mia Morel, 5-7, fr., Marshall FOURTH TEAM Caitlin Link, 5-8, Sr., Madison Edgewood Maggie Negaard, sr, 5-10, Stevens Point Jaddan Simmons, So., 5-8, Green Bay Southwest Tara Stauffacher, 5-11, Jr., Beaver Dam Emma Wittmershaus, sr., 6-2, Bangor HONORABLE MENTION Amber Baehman, sr., Tri-County; Kassandra Bartek, sr., Oak Creek; Emily Behnke, jr., Manitowoc Lutheran; Grace Beyer, jr., Mukwonago; Brooklyn Bull, sr., Union Grove; Jessa Burling, sr., Burlington; Kaye Clark, jr., Milwaukee King; Justice Filip, sr., Madison East; Sydney Flier, sr., Waupun; Emma Gamoke, sr., Onalaska; Alana Gilles, jr., Lodi; Caelan Givens, soph, Chippewa Falls; Alina Hampton, Sr., Kimberly; Julia Hartwig, jr., Janesville Parker; Emily Herzberg, soph., Melrose-Mindoro;Julia Hintz, jr., New Berlin Eisenhower; Hannah Jones, sr., Dodgeville; Leilani Kapinus, soph., Madison Memorial; Chelby Koker, jr., Somers Shoreland Lutheran; Natalie Leuzinger, so., Black Hawk; Jordan Ludescher, sr., Flambeau; Jenna Mace, sr., Wisconsin Dells; Sami Martin, soph., Platteville; Natalie McNeal, soph., Germantown; Kaylee Meyers, jr., Darlington; Emily Mueller, sr., St. Mary’s Springs; Madelyn Neff, sr., Hayward; Alyssa Nelson, sr., New Berlin West; Brooke Olson, sr., Rice Lake; Kiarra Otto, jr., Laconia; Brooklyn Paulson, sr., Holmen; Heather Pearson, sr., Amherst; Taylor Petit, sr., D.C. Everest;Alexis Rolph, jr., Oshkosh Lourdes Academy; Cassie Schiltz, jr., Luxemburg-Casco; Lexie Schneider, Sr., Appleton East; Brooklyn Schyvinck, sr., Reedsburg; Kyah Steiner, sr., La Crosse Aquinas; Tina Ubl, Sr., Shiocton; Kailee Van Zeeland, Sr., Wrightstown; Lexi Wagner, jr., Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau; Tahlia Walton, sr., Stanley-Boyd; Jennifer Wendler, jr., Owen-Withee;Maty Wilke, fr., Beaver Dam; Haley Zylka, sr., Oak Creek.