My favorite moment from Saturday’s When Sides Collide shootout didn’t come on the court. Benet coach Gene Heidkamp took some time after his team’s win to talk about Warren star junior Jaxson Davis.First, he discussed Davis’ talent. The Redwings beat Warren on Saturday and in the Class 4A state championship last season.“Davis, I can’t say enough about him,” Heidkamp said. “We’ve played against so many good guards in my time here. [Jalen] Brunson, [Tyler] Ulis, I could go down the line. [Davis] is pretty special. Especially right now for what he does for our basketball.”Heidkamp then shared something that many coaches and fans around the state that love high school basketball will certainly agree with.“I’m a huge fan of [Davis] as a player for what he does for our state,” Heidkamp said. “We don’t want to play against him anymore than we have to. But I respect him a lot. And I respect his talent and how good he is and what he does for his school and for all of high school basketball.”Illinois has seen dozens of talented high school basketball players leave for prep schools. Some have returned, some have not. No one knows if Davis will stick around next year, his family hasn’t made that decision yet.But one thing is certain. Davis will earn a special place in state history if he stays. He’ll be remembered as the one shining light that kept Illinois high school basketball alive for a few years when everyone else decided to…
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