Jaxson Davis can score in so many ways: driving the lane, popping a three-pointer from the corner, weaving through traffic along the baseline, putting back a rebound.
All that was on display Saturday night, when the Warren freshman added to his growing legend with a spectacular performance in the Proviso West Holiday Tournament title game.
Davis scored 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting and added five assists, three rebounds and three steals as the No. 8 Blue Devils cruised past No. 15 Lincoln Park 78-52 for the championship.
Alex Daniels hit 8-for-9 from the field and added 17 points for Warren (15-1), which has won 13 straight. Jack Wolf was the third Blue Devil in double figures with 10 points.
But it was Davis’ show as he became the first freshman to be named MVP in the tourney’s 62 years.
His offensive versatility isn’t a new development.
“I work on it in the gym with my dad all the time,” he said. “It just comes to me. Getting up in high-school basketball, I just learned how to maneuver around bigger guys around the rim.”
“He’s a special player and a special kid,” Warren coach Zack Ryan said. “When you’ve got a guy like him, as a coach it makes it a lot easier. ... Every team, they know him now. So he’s getting every team’s best shot. They’re face-guarding him and he’s learning how to respond to that.”
Daniels knew Davis was the real deal long before this season.
“We’ve all kind of known him since he was really young,” Daniels said. “He’s been around the program. We all knew what it was, coming in and we knew it would be a good year.”
Good? It’s been great. The Blue Devils’ only loss was by 11 to Mount Carmel over Thanksgiving. Since then, they’ve posted quality wins over New Trier, Bolingbrook, Kenwood and Joliet West, among others.
And they’re young: Daniels and Immanuel Brown are the only senior starters.
“I knew we were going to be good,” Ryan said. “I don’t know how many people thought we’d be this good. But these guys work really hard. ... No one really cares who scores and that helps. It makes it really fun to coach.”
Both teams started slow, with Warren up 13-12 after the first quarter. Then came a 27-point second quarter by the Blue Devils, who led 40-24 at halftime and were never really challenged thereafter.
Lincoln Park (12-4) had four players in double figures: Chase Turner Jr. and Semaje Howard with 12 points each, Keyshawn Barfield with 11 and Damian Pearson with 10.
Like Warren, the Lions are young — Howard is the only senior who played on Saturday — and better than expected. They have notable wins over Lindblom and Young.
This game aside, coach Josh Anderson is happy with where his team is heading into 2024.
“This was a great step, to make it to the championship game of a prestigious tournament.” Anderson said. “My guys took a step forward. The only thing we can do is get back in the lab and get better.”
