CHAMPAIGN — The best of the Class of 2027 had the most highly-regarded collective boys’ basketball talent in the state since Ayo Dosunmu, Talen Horton-Tucker and Francis Okoro topped the rankings in 2018.
It was noticeable early. All four of Warren Township’s Jaxson Davis, Bolingbrook’s Davion Thompson, Kenwood’s Devin Cleveland and Whitney Young’s Howard Williams drew notice as freshmen. Quinton Kitt’s true rise at East Peoria came a year later to make it as good a top five from the state in a decade.
In what’s become a trend among the top talent in Illinois, none of them will finish their high school careers in the state.
Williams was the first to leave, transferring to Oak Hill Academy (Va.) for the 2024-25 season. Then it was Thompson and Cleveland landing at noted prep schools Link Academy (Mo.) and La Lumiere (Ind.), respectively, for their junior years, and Kitt announcing this spring he wouldn’t return to the Raiders.
Davis was next.
The two-time News-Gazette All-State Player of the Year and Illinois recruiting target announced Friday he would leave Warren Township and play his senior season at newly-formed Monarch Academy in Kansas City, Kan., in Nike’s EYBL Scholastic League. Kitt will join him next season at Monarch Academy, too, after announcing his decision shortly after Davis did Friday.
“It is with great excitement, yet mixed emotions, that I announce my commitment to spend my senior year at Monarch Academy,” Davis shared on social media. “My goal has always been to challenge myself, continue growing and become the best player I can be. And after careful consideration, I believe the opportunity to compete on the EYBL Scholastic circuit will provide the highest level of competition and best prepare me for the transition from high school basketball to the high-major collegiate level.”
Davis was one of two in-state standouts to announce their departure from the state for the 2026-27 season on Friday. Class of 2028 guard Amarion Smith-Holley, who was also a News-Gazette All-State First-Team selection this past season for Peoria Richwoods and holds an Illinois offer, will play next season at Link Academy.
Thompson, who also had an Illini offer but committed to Arkansas on Wednesday, Cleveland, Davis, Williams and Kitt are the top-five ranked Class of 2027 prospects from Illinois. Their departure creates a hole among the rising senior class in the state particularly when you consider Davis’ three impressive seasons at Warren.
The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 19.5 points, 5.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 steals as a freshman and earned his first Division I scholarship offers in the process. Illinois was first, offering Davis in December of his freshman season after he earned MVP honors at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament.
The next two seasons featured more of the same. Davis kept producing, and Warren kept winning. The Blue Devils were the Class 4A state runners-up during the 2024-25 season with Davis averaging 19.6 points, six assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 steals en route to his first News-Gazette All-State Player of the Year selection.
Warren won 30 games this past season as Davis led the way with 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.5 steals per game to repeat as The News-Gazette’s All-State Player of the Year.
“Before beginning this next chapter, I want to sincerely thank my Warren Blue Devil family — my coaches, teammates, athletic department, administration, faculty, students and everyone who has supported me over the past three years,” Davis wrote. “The experiences, relationships and development I gained at Warren have played a major role in shaping me both as a player and as a person.”
Davis’ next step will be a move to Kansas City. The four-star guard with double-digit high-major offers, including Michigan and Kentucky in addition to Illinois, was one of the first players to join the Monarch Academy roster.
Davis has experience on Nike’s EYBL circuit playing three springs and summers with Meanstreets alongside Thompson and Kitt. The Chicago-based 17U squad went 4-6 during the EYBL’s three spring sessions, with Davis averaging 14.2 points on 42/39/68 shooting to go with 5.2 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game.
“Jaxson came to me and said it was time for him to leave Warren,” Davis’ dad, Brian, told the Chicago Sun-Times. “He told me he had to get better. He wants to be college-ready — not just ready for college but ready to play in college — and he didn’t feel like he could do that playing another year of high school basketball. He felt staying for another year would prevent him from getting better.”
Scott Richey covers college basketball for The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).
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