State Final: Steve’s Superlatives

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now that the state has four state champions crowned after three days of basketball in Champaign. I looked back at some key moments and superlatives from the Illinois State Finals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Single Game Performance&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tyjuan Hunter (Hope Academy) 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't believe anyone had a day like Hunter. His 26 points and 11 assists performance was one to watch. The smallest guy on the court provided exciting plays and shot the ball well for most of the game. His connection to [player_tooltip player_id='2372438' first='Jaiden' last='Simmons'] for alley-oop dunks was momentum-changing. Tyjuan could do no wrong as he shot the ball well to going 3 for 4 from the three-point line. After this performance he had put himself in the conversation for top returning guards in the state.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Defensive Performance&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2194324' first='Jaxon' last='Davis'] (Warren) 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yes, we talk a lot about how well Davis scores the ball but we don't acknowledge how well he defends. In the semifinal game on Friday Jaxon scored 27 points but swiped 7 steals against Rich Township. In the championship game he was just as good with 4 steals against Benet's steady guards. Davis has become one of the better guards in the state on both sides of the ball.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Shooting Performance&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2438037' first='Jayden' last='McKinnon'] (Dyett) 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the biggest stage when his team needed it the most Jayden came up big with his shooting touch from three. McKinnon went 4-5 from three hitting big shot after big shot in what was a tight game until the 4th quarter. He was also solid from the free-throw line in the championship game as he went 3-4. Jayden is an unsigned senior who can impact the game with his shooting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Highest Scoring Performance</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2734366' first='Jayden' last='Williams'] (Rich Township)&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams had one of the better scoring performances in the Saturday morning third-place game. His 28 points didn't come easy and the most impressive part was he didn't make a single three-pointer in the game. Williams has vastly improved his scoring production this season using his upper body strength to muscle through guys for shots and layups. Jayden managed to score points and be fouled in the process. He got to the free-throw line nine times and making eight of them. &nbsp;Finished the season with a strong showing and will be a candidate for ascending in the next rankings.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2022 Prep Hoops Freshman Showcase Alums Shine for Benet</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Just 3 years ago we had several players from Benet attend the Prep Hoops Freshman Showcase. Even with one of the top players transferring out the Redwings had a very good nucleus of talent still in the building. Guys like [player_tooltip player_id='2105390' first='Jayden' last='Wright'], [player_tooltip player_id='1552419' first='Ryan' last='Walsh'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1598682' first='Daniel' last='Pauliukonis']. &nbsp;All these guys showed great promise back then and in one of my tweets I predicted a state run! Benet brings back a good amount of talent next season and can be in the running for a repeat to state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->