CHAMPAIGN — Warren’s Javerion Banks needed only 10 seconds to announce his arrival in the Class 4A state championship game on Saturday night.
Coming off the bench early in the first quarter, the senior guard immediately made an aggressive move to the basket, drew a foul and then hit two free throws. It was one of the shortest possessions of the game.
Of course, Banks didn’t slow down from there. His wire-to-wire tenacity made Benet squirm until the final split-second had ticked off the clock.
“Senior urgency,” Banks said. “It was my last game, and we wanted to win. I’m a gamer. Once it’s time to kick it up, I know when to bring the energy in certain moments.”
But Banks did more than bring energy. He scored a game-high 22 points and also had five rebounds and two steals as the Blue Devils pushed Benet to the limit before losing 55-54 at the State Farm Center.
“I feel like I did the best I could today, and we came up short,” he said.
Indeed, Banks scored 11 points in the fourth quarter as Warren (27-11) stormed back from an 11-point deficit in its bid for its first state title. The game came down to multiple Blue Devils’ possessions, the last of which ended when Benet sophomore forward Edvardas Stasys deflected star sophomore guard Jaxson Davis’ attempted inbounds pass from under the basket.
“They just didn’t quit,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “He (Banks) made it really, really hard on us and was really hard to guard down the stretch. He’s so aggressive offensively. On defense, he gets after it. He’s really athletic. He makes a big difference for their team.”
Although Banks came off the bench against the Redwings (33-5), as he has done since he returned in late January after recovering from surgery to remove a bone cyst from his left femur, he still scored Warren’s first six points. After making the two free throws, Banks hit one of his three 3-pointers on the next possession, and shortly thereafter he added another free throw to give the Blue Devils a 6-3 lead.
Banks’ strategy was simple.
“I went to the basket,” he said. “I didn’t get everything I wanted, but I still feel like I made an impact. I feel like in the playoffs, I’ve been consistent. All the focus is on Jaxson, and that opens doors for me.”
Banks burst through those doors with a breakneck style. He resembles a running back going downhill. That puts a lot of pressure on opposing defenses, which often don’t have players who can stay in front of him.
Banks’ athleticism was on display early in the game when he scored on a baseline double-pump, up-and-under layup that would win any game of HORSE.
“Javerion did a great job,” Warren coach Zack Ryan said. “He was dealt an unfair hand as a senior and kept a positive attitude and did everything the team needed him to do and, you guys can all see, is a great basketball player. His best days are ahead of him. That’s a 100% fact.”
Banks, who entered the state finals averaging 12.6 points and 3.0 assists, played his best when it mattered most. The Blue Devils had their ups and downs during the season, but much of that happened while Banks was sidelined.
“Every time he’s on the court, he plays with max heart, max energy, max effort,” Warren junior guard Braylon Walker said. “You always need a guy like that on your team. He brought it tonight and gave his all. That’s all you can ask.”
Even with Warren trailing 54-47 with 1:34 left, Banks and Davis, who finished with 17 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals, had more left in the tank. Davis’ putback off a blocked layup made it a one-point game with 39 seconds left, and senior guard Andrew Watson took a charge on the other end to give Warren one last shot.
“That’s the one thing about this team,” Banks said. “We’re always positive, and we’re confident in ourselves. That’s what a good team needs. I just don’t like losing, especially if we’re right there. I wish I could go back and handle certain situations better. But everything happens for a reason.”
Missed time was the reason Banks assumed the bench role. It’s a testament to his unselfishness that he embraced it.
“I thank the coaches for putting me in that situation,” Banks said. “I feel like me coming off the bench is one of the best things that could have happened. I feel like I’m the sixth man of the year.”
No one who watched the Blue Devils recently could argue with that.
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
