Heading into the season a trio of freshmen were expected to take the state by storm. Warren’s Jaxson Davis and Bolingbrook’s Davion Thompson did exactly that. But the third, Devin Cleveland of Kenwood, was injured in the Broncos’ second game of the season and had to sit back and watch while Davis and Thompson garnered all the attention.
“It didn’t bother me,” Cleveland said. “I love those guys and I was happy for them.”
Cleveland had his moment on Sunday at Young. The point guard scored 20 points off the bench to lead Kenwood to an 85-55 win against Warren.
“This was my first big game in town so that was fun,” Cleveland said. “Coming off the injury I had to play a couple games to get my breath back. It doesn’t come all at once, you have to get a feel back. And today I had it back.”
Cleveland shot 4-for-7 from three-point range and had a pair of dazzling drives to the basket. Davis led the Blue Devils with 21 points, five steals and five rebounds.
“[Davis and Thompson] jumped out of the gate strong and we knew they would,” Kenwood coach Mike Irvin said. “But we have a very, very special kid in Devin.”
Junior Aleks Alston added 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Broncos, who shot 32 of 45 from the field and 12-for-20 from three-point range.
Warren beat Kenwood 73-63 in the Proviso West Holiday Tournament semifinals on Dec. 29.
“We had just played them so we were definitely ready and motivated,” Alston said. “And right from the start we had a spark and were sharing the ball.”
The Broncos lost to Normal 57-43 in downstate Highland on Saturday night. It’s a big week ahead for Kenwood, with conference games against Simeon and Curie.
“This was much needed,” Irvin said. “We are still trying to put the pieces together. When you have so many pieces it is a puzzle and we are trying to figure it out. Today was something we should build off. We are still a work in progress. The goal is to be there in February.”
Warren, which won the title at Proviso West, had ripped off 14 consecutive wins since losing to Mount Carmel on Nov. 22.
“It was a combination of Kenwood playing well and our defensive intensity letting down,” Blue Devils coach Zack Ryan said. “We knew they would be fired up because we beat them a week ago. It’s a learning experience for us. It will be good for us down the road, taking a beating like this.”
Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Illinois 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/owesTamsCh
— Devin Cleveland (@DevinClev2) January 8, 2024
