Warren's Jaxson Davis, the 2024-25 News-Sun Boys Basketball Player of the Year, does ‘what star players do'

Chicago Tribune

28-03-2025

The bar has been set unusually high for Jaxson Davis since before his first game in a Warren uniform.
But over the course of two highly productive seasons, the 6-foot-1 sophomore guard has shown an uncanny ability to block out all of the outside noise.
'I'm just out there playing basketball at the end of the day, so I really don't get rattled,' Davis said. 'I think that comes from playing up when I was younger. I matured quicker than kids my age, and I'm able to control my emotions.'
That even-keeled approach belies a fiery competitiveness that has fueled a level of success Warren's program hadn't experienced in nearly 15 years. Davis, the 2024-25 News-Sun Boys Basketball Player of the Year, led the Blue Devils all the way to the Class 4A state championship game earlier this month, surpassing a spectacular freshman season that ended in a supersectional.
Davis, whose other accolades include Gatorade player of the year in Illinois and 4A all-state first-team honors from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, averaged 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.8 steals as Warren (27-11) overcame a choppy regular season to win when it mattered most. The Blue Devils reeled off seven straight victories in February and March before losing to Benet 55-54 in the state final in Champaign on March 15.
'That was probably the most games I've ever lost in a season, but I would say I'm satisfied, especially with what we were able to do in the playoffs,' Davis said. 'We had to fight through a lot and ended up with people in different roles. But my teammates trusted me 100%, and to be able to go on that run is something I won't ever forget.'
Among the challenges for Davis and the Blue Devils during the regular season were the absences of his talented teammates in the backcourt, senior Javerion Banks and junior Braylon Walker, who both missed time. That may have made the Blue Devils stronger in the end, but opponents sharpened their focus on Davis even more.
'I didn't get that type of pressure thrown at me last year,' he said. 'It was definitely amped up this year. I was seeing multiple guys coming at me and guys coming off the bench just to guard me. It's definitely a compliment, but it makes it tough out there too.'
With Banks and Walker both sidelined, Davis averaged 22.5 points in four games as Warren defended its title at the prestigious Proviso West Holiday Tournament, where he was named the MVP for the second time. He also scored a career-high 38 points against Joliet West on Jan. 11, the same night he reached 1,000 career points.
'I know I'll need to take tough shots,' Davis said. 'That's what star players do. That comes from being in the gym and practicing taking tough shots and then understanding when to take them during games.'
But Davis, who has offers from DePaul, Illinois and Northwestern, among others, is far from a one-man show. His scoring average was about the same during his freshman season, but his assists per game increased from 3.6 to 6.1.
'He learned how to pick his spots more this year and when to hang back a little,' Warren coach Zack Ryan said. 'But when it's time to turn it on, he has that sense. He was the one with an assist that was the dagger or the basket that was the dagger. He's always the guy making the play that has an impact on the final outcome.'
To make many of those plays, Davis uses his body to shield defenders. He has studied players like New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who led Stevenson to the 2015 4A state title.
'I watch guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson — guards who are a similar size as me — and see how they get shots off by using their bodies,' Davis said.
Davis can also affect a game defensively. He illustrated that on the biggest stage when he made seven steals during Warren's 66-49 win over Rich Township in the state semifinals.
Davis' AAU teammate Davion Thompson, a Bolingbrook sophomore guard who also was an all-state first-team pick, didn't see anything in that game that he hasn't seen before.
'When you're playing against him, you can't play around with the ball,' Thompson said. 'You have to get straight to the point. He's a pest, and you always have to be watching out for him.
'If he's on the court, his team has a good chance of winning.'
That's the ultimate compliment for Davis, who has guided the Blue Devils to 58 wins in his two seasons.
'When there are as many eyes on you as there are on him, every habit has to be good,' Ryan said. 'He's been the foundation of the program since he got here.'