2025 Mr. and Ms. Basketball of Illinois: Jaxson Davis and Destiny Jackson forge their place in history

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Warren’s Jaxson Davis and Young’s Destiny Jackson are not just the best high school basketball players in the state. They are history makers.

Davis and Jackson are the 2025 Mr. and Ms. Basketball of Illinois winners, as voted by coaches and media statewide.

Davis, a 6-foot-1 guard, is the first sophomore to win Mr. Basketball in the award’s 45-year history. Jackson, a 5-6 senior guard who has signed with Illinois, is the first player from the powerhouse Young program to win Ms. Basketball.

The historic nature of their accomplishments is not lost on either player.

“It feels amazing just to know that nobody had ever done this,” Davis said. “There are so many big names who have won this award, so just knowing that I’m in good company of people who won it and knowing I’m the first one to do it as a sophomore is really exciting.

“It makes me feel like I have a bright future ahead. But I just know I have to stay in the gym.”

Jackson said she looks up to several past Young stars and knows how tough it is to become the first person to do anything in a program with so much history of success — the Dolphins have won three state championships and 10 state trophies. She mentioned Linnae Harper and E.C. Hill “and so many more.”

“There’s so much talent that came before me,” Jackson said. “There are so, so many greats. Being the first one to win this award, it’s just really nice knowing that my name is going to be in those conversations as one of the best to play at Whitney Young.

“My biggest thing was leaving some type of legacy at my high school.”

The prestigious awards, given to the top boys and girls players in the state, are presented by the Chicago Tribune in conjunction with the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. Mr. Basketball has been handed out since 1981 and Ms. Basketball since 1986.

Davis, who averaged 19.5 points, 4 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.8 steals while leading Warren (27-11) to a runner-up finish in Class 4A, ran away from the field in Mr. Basketball voting as his tremendous postseason undoubtedly left a strong impression.

He received 41 first-place votes and was named on 87 of 150 ballots, finishing with 315 points to easily outdistance another sophomore, Bolingbrook’s Davion Thompson, who took second with 140 points. Docker Tedeschi of Benton was the top senior vote-getter, placing third.

Warren High School’s Jaxson Davis is the 2025 Mr. Basketball of Illinois winner, the first sophomore to win the prestigious award. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

Davis, who scored 27 points in a state semifinal win over Rich Township and 17 in a heartbreaking 55-54 loss to Benet in the championship game, certainly was proud of his playoff performances.

“I feel like in the playoffs I became way more efficient and consistent,” he said. “My shooting was up and down all year, but when the playoffs came around, I feel like I consistently hit timely shots for us. Knowing that my team needed me to hit those shots, it clicked for me in the playoffs.”

Ms. Basketball voting was much closer, with Jackson narrowly defeating Loyola senior Aubrey Galvan 230-219. Jackson received 28 first-place votes and was named on 68 of 129 ballots, while Galvan received 29 first-place votes but was named on five fewer ballots. Kenwood senior Ariella Henigan was third.

Players received five points for a first-place vote, three for a second and one for a third.

Jackson averaged 21.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.8 steals while leading the Dolphins (25-9) to their fourth straight city championship and a spot in the Class 4A Sweet 16.

“This year I was able to step into more of a leadership role, knowing my teammates were looking up to me,” Jackson said. “Then it was just being consistent. Those were my two big things this year.”

Destiny Jackson, a Whitney Young High School senior and Ms. Basketball of Illinois winner, in the school's gym on April 28, 2025. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Destiny Jackson, a Whitney Young High School senior and Ms. Basketball of Illinois winner, in the school’s gym on April 28, 2025. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Jackson is preparing to start her college career at Illinois and will continue to chase big dreams.

“I can’t wait to get down there and bring great things to Champaign and great things back to my home state,” she said. “I want to go to Illinois, have a great career, win Big Ten championships, build up toward getting a national championship and then playing professionally in the WNBA would be the ultimate goal.

“I just have to be consistent, stay in the gym, knowing I have a goal that I’m very passionate about.”

Davis, meanwhile, has two years of high school basketball ahead. Simeon’s Jabari Parker in 2012-13 and Belleville West’s EJ Liddell in 2018-19 are the only other non-seniors to have won the award and the only players to win Mr. Basketball twice.

Beyond the opportunity to join that exclusive group, Davis will be fueled by the pain of narrowly missing the ultimate prize.

With his team down by one point in the final seconds of the 4A championship game, Davis lost his footing and had to call timeout from the floor. Warren had one last chance, inbounding the ball with three-tenths of a second left, but the pass was knocked away.

“I’m probably going to be thinking about those plays forever,” Davis said. “But I know I’m going to have my brothers from this team forever, and we can always think about what we accomplished and know we’re going down as one of the best teams in Warren history.

“But you don’t ever want to have that feeling in sports, so it’s going to motivate me to keep going.”

Davis and Jackson will be honored at an IBCA luncheon Saturday at Illinois State University in Normal.

2025 Mr. Basketball of Illinois voting

150 ballots cast, first-place votes in parentheses; 5-3-1 vote total

Top 10

  • 1. Jaxson Davis, Warren, 315 points (41)
  • 2. Davion Thompson, Bolingbrook, 140 (15)
  • 3. Docker Tedeschi, Benton, 133 (20)
  • 4. Ian Miletic, Rolling Meadows, 106 (9)
  • 5. Devin Cleveland, Kenwood, 96 (10)
  • 6. Phoenix Gill, St. Ignatius, 82 (8)
  • 7. Bradley Longcor III, Quincy, 70 (9)
  • 8. Marcos Gonzales, Brother Rice, 69 (5)
  • 9. Dietrich Richardson, Manual, 59 (5)
  • 10 Tyreek Coleman, Waubonsie Valley, 51 (5)

Others receiving multiple votes: Matthew Zobrist, Metamora, 41 points (3); Leshawn Stowers, Peoria, 36 (5); Blake Fagbemi, Benet, 18 (2); Al Brooks Jr., Rich, 10 (1); Ross Robertson, South Beloit, 9 (1); Vince Buzelis, Hinsdale Central, 8 (1); Makai Kvamme, DePaul Prep, 8 (1); Daniel Pauliukonis, Benet, 5; Jayden Tyler, Homewood-Flossmoor, 4.

Receiving one vote: Aleks Alston, Kenwood, 5 points (1); Grant Best, Mount Carmel, 5 (1); Marquis Clark, Young, 5 (1); Dierre Hill Jr, Belleville Althoff, 5 (1); Christopher Kirkpatrick, New Trier, 5 (1); Konnor Reynolds, Nokomis, 5 (1); Alex Stell, Waterloo, 5 (1); Jayden Taylor, Fenger, 5 (1); Kobe Walker, Normal Community, 5 (1); Christian Cummings, Rockford Christian, 3; Sam Donald, Columbia, 3; Bryden Gryzmala, Althoff Catholic, 3; EJ Mosley, St. Laurence, 3; Carson Peters, Pana, 3; Cameron Thomas, Mount Carmel, 3; KeShaun Thomas, Quincy, 3; Cole Tripp, Goreville, 3; JC Anderson, Mount Zion, 1; Dontae Bell, Leo, 1; AJ Chambers, DePaul Prep, 1; Amir Danforth, Rockford Auburn, 1; Cooper Hoffman, Pecatonica, 1; Tyjuan Hunter, Hope, 1; Cooper Knowles, West Hancock, 1; Isaiah Lintker, New Athens, 1; Brendan Loftus, Loyola, 1; Will Nohren, Shelbyville, 1; Maddox Ritzel, Nashville, 1; Lincoln Williams, Kankakee, 1; Zach Winkeler, Belleville Althoff, 1.

2025 Ms. Basketball of Illinois voting

129 ballots cast, first-place votes in parentheses; 5-3-1 point total

Top 10

  • 1. Destiny Jackson, Young, 230 (28)
  • 2. Aubrey Galvan, Loyola, 219 (29)
  • 3. Ariella Henigan, Kenwood, 107 (17)
  • 4. Ella Todd, Fremd, 93 (7)
  • 5. Nikki Kerstein, Montini, 89 (7)
  • 6. Nora Ezike, Lyons, 74 (6)
  • 7. Reganne Reardon, St. Ignatius, 64 (6)
  • 8. Paityn London, Freeport, 58 (8)
  • 9. Danyella Mporokoso, Waubonsie Valley, 39 (2)
  • 10. Kiyoko Proctor, Alton, 19 (1)

Others receiving multiple votes: Summer Brinkmann, Nashville, 10 points (2); Gracie Furlong, Galena, 10 (2); Avery Tibbs, Washington, Ill., 9 (1); Samantha Brinkmann, Nashville, 8 (1); Emma Pierson, Belvidere, 8 (1); Elaina Rager, Pecatonica, 7 (1); Lauren Miller, Camp Point Central, 5; Gina Davorija, Glenbrook South, 4; Reese Ramsey, Pittsfield, 4; Coco Urlacher, Fremd, 4; Emma Behrmann, Nashville, 2; Stella Sakala, Nazareth, 2.

Receiving one vote: Laney Cahoon, Orangeville, 5 points (1); Dalia Dejesus, Deer Creek-Mackinaw, 5 (1); Grace Lizak, Willows, 5 (1); Addison Lucht, Cissna Park, 5 (1); Nyanna Payton, Manual, 5 (1); Kamaree Pollard, Mount Vernon, 5 (1); Jarius Powers, Alton, 5 (1); Sam Schmuke, Columbia, 5 (1); Kazaria Smith, Romeoville, 5 (1); Sage Stratton, Quincy Notre Dame, 5 (1); Lexi Baer, Peoria Notre Dame, 3; Lauren Flowers, Carrollton, 3; Talesha Gilmore, Collinsville, 3; Breyasia Grayson, Manual, 3; Lauryn Hamrick, Cissna Park, 3; Alexa Jamison, Salt Fork, 3; Arianna Labeau Belvidere, 3; Peyton Biekert, Cahokia, 1; Danielle Brooks, Kenwood, 1; Diann Jackson, Kenwood, 1; Alli Linke, Prospect, 1; Julia Mingus, Peoria Notre Dame, 1; Lily Sizemore, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley, 1; London Sommerville, Richwoods, 1; Caroline Smith, Lincoln-Way West, 1.

Mr. Basketball of Illinois winners

Ms. Basketball of Illinois winners

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