Warren senior guard Braylon Walker saved his best for last, at least at the high school level.
During the Blue Devils’ Class 4A Rockton Hononegah Sectional semifinal game on Tuesday, Walker reached deep when he was needed most.
“In a game like this, I knew from the get-go that I had to come out and leave it all on the floor,” he said.
But Walker became even more important for the Blue Devils when star junior guard Jaxson Davis, the 2025 Mr. Basketball of Illinois, seemingly started to feel the effects of a head injury suffered during a practice on Monday. Davis, who was cleared to play before the game and again at halftime, according to Warren coach Zack Ryan, scored just nine points, more than 15 below his average.
The 6-foot-3 Walker responded by scoring 33 points, but second-seeded Rockford Auburn pulled out an 84-76 win over the top-seeded Blue Devils, who reached the state championship game last season.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the win,” Walker said. “That’s what’s ultimately the most important.”
Warren (30-4) was climbing uphill throughout the game, but Walker wasn’t fazed. He scored the first 11 points of the third quarter for the Blue Devils, who turned a 46-36 halftime deficit into a 54-53 lead.
The Knights (26-8) answered with a 10-0 run, however, to regain control and will play Rockford Guilford — which beat Waukegan 65-57 — in the sectional championship game on Friday.
“We had a really good stretch in the third quarter when we came back, and I thought we had them,” Walker said. “But we just ended up falling short.”
After his big third quarter, Walker went into the fourth with 999 career points, and he surpassed 1,000 soon enough.
“That definitely feels good,” he said. “But I wish we could have gotten the win. It shows you not to take any moment for granted because stuff like this could happen.”
Losses were few and far between for the Blue Devils, who certainly haven’t taken Walker’s contributions for granted. He usually plays off the ball but ran the offense quite a bit on Tuesday. He dished the ball to teammates and was 7 for 8 from the free-throw line. His active hands on defense also resulted in a bevy of tipped balls and several steals.
“Today, he probably played the best game of his career,” Ryan said. “He kept us in the game, guarded their best guy.
“He had a great career and will go down as one of the winningest players ever at Warren. It’s a credit to him and all the work he’s put in. His best days of basketball are ahead of him.”
But where Walker plays next has not been determined. He said he has received interest from Milwaukee and is considering a postgraduate year at a prep school.
“It might be good to get another year to get looked at,” he said. “With the transfer portal, it’s tougher to get a look straight out of high school unless you’re a top-ranked guy.”
Walker, who averaged a team-high 5.9 rebounds this season, knows what he can offer college coaches.
“I want them to see an all-around player who’s a vocal leader who builds the team up and is solid at everything,” Walker said. “I can play a role defending, play point guard, knock down shots — being able to do a little of everything.”
Walker has a message for younger teammates too.
“I tell the other guys who are coming back to leave it all out there, play your heart out, and every day go hard,” he said, “and hopefully win the state championship next year.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.