City/Suburban Hoops Report: Warren’s revival, Lindblom’s rise, national struggles

This isn’t a declaration that Warren basketball is back to Chuck Ramsey-coached levels. However, with the start the Blue Devils are off to, coupled with the fact a star freshman is leading a relatively young roster, it’s a team that’s definitely going to be talked about often over the next few months –– and maybe years?

Highly-successful yearly runs under Ramsey were the norm. Ramsey’s Warren teams won 20-plus games 11 times, along with 14 regional championships and seven sectional titles from 1994-2012. Both the 1999 and 2011 teams finished second in the state. 

Remarkably, Warren hasn’t won 20 games or a regional championship since Ramsey retired following the sectional championship season of 2011-12. 

Now heralded freshman point guard Jaxson Davis is leading a revival. He shined this past weekend in fueling the Blue Devils to a win over ranked Bolingbrook in the Chicago Elite Classic. Davis scored 17 points and handed out nine assists in the 77-64 win. But his impact was felt beyond the point total. 

For just a freshman, Davis has a calming presence for a team that looks to him to control tempo, run the offense and handle pressure with poise beyond his age and experience. 

Warren, which has climbed to No. 14 in the most recent Super 25 rankings, is now on the radar with wins over New Trier and Bolingbrook. With Davis (17.4 ppg), the 6-5 Alex Daniels (11.7 ppg) and junior Javerion Banks (12.6 ppg), coach Zack Ryan’s team has established itself as the frontrunner in what was expected to be a wide open North Suburban Conference. 

Lindblom’s rise

Keep an eye on Lindblom and Je’Shawn Stevenson.

As a big-bodied guard who can shoot, Stevenson is a go-to offensive force capable of scoring in so many different ways. The Cleveland State recruit poured in 26 points in a Chicago Elite Classic win over Joliet West. His running mate in the backcourt, senior Quentin McCoy, added 23 points. 

Even while winning 18 games a year ago, the Eagles were thumped by the Chicago Public League’s elite last season. But Stevenson and McCoy were two of six seniors returning, so the expectations within the program were raised heading into this season. A win over a ranked team this past weekend, however, provided coach Narvel Newson some much-needed validation before key Red-South/Central games begin this month. 

Lindblom will continue to try and build confidence and momentum in preparation for the Class 3A playoffs in three months. In each of the past two seasons the Eagles have lost tight, down-to-the-wire regional championship games, falling 49-48 to St. Laurence last year and a 47-44 loss to Nazareth two years ago.

There is a lot of basketball to be played, but it’s a team with a legitimate star that can certainly claim the program’s first regional championship since 2011. 

National struggles

It was an extremely rough day Saturday for Illinois teams in the 12th annual Chicago Elite Classic. The five out-of-state programs left Chicago winning all five matchups, beating Hyde Park, Curie, Homewood-Flossmoor, Young and Mount Carmel. 

But Illinois has had its share of problems playing nationally-recognized programs in this event over the years.

In the last five Chicago Elite Classics that have been played, Illinois teams are just 6-16.