June 25, 2025
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2025 Daily Chronicle Boys Athlete of the Year: DeKalb’s Davon Grant

By Eddie Carifio
DeKalb's Davon Grant (23) dunks the ball against Glenbard West during a game in DeKalb on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024.

DeKalb v Glenbard West boys basketball DeKalb's Davon Grant (23) dunks the ball against Glenbard West during a game in DeKalb (Mark Black for Shaw Local News Network)

As Davon Grant’s basketball season drew to a close, he made a decision that may cost him his senior season.

Committed to Illinois for football, the DeKalb junior decided to pursue enrolling early to attend spring practices with the Illini.

So as the Barbs were making their run to a second straight regional title and fourth straight 20-win season, the tone shifted for Grant.

“It really changed my mentality from I’ve got another year with these guys to I’ve got to make the most of it,” Grant said. “Making the most of it became the thing I focused on. The last couple games became all about that because once the season was over with I won’t see them again.”

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Grant is the Daily Chronicle Boys Athlete of the Year for the second straight year. He was on the Chronicle all-area first teams for basketball and football this year.

But if all goes according to plan, Grant won’t be around for a fourth varsity season with the Barbs.

DeKalb basketball coach Mike Reynolds said Grant developed as a leader between his sophomore and junior seasons. He said that Grant remained focused on basketball even after committing to Illinois and deciding to pursue early graduation.

“He was a great standard bearer,” Reynolds said. “He’d always work hard and put his best foot forward. He set the standard by not missing a lot and doing things the right way. Lots of multisport athletes don’t put in 100% in both sports. That wasn’t Davon. He is a great teammate and great leader. He showed up and had one heck of a basketball career. I wish I could coach him another year.”

Grant averaged 13 points and seven rebounds per game this year, earning first-team honors in the DuPage Valley Conference for the third time.

Grant said he wrestled with the decision to graduate early for a long time, but in the end heading to Champaign in January was too good of an opportunity.

“I just came to the decision that I really need to prepare myself and work towards what I want to do for a living,” Grant said. “By graduating early and enrolling early, that will help me play.”

Grant finished the football season with 67 catches for 1,016 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 12 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown as coach Derek Schneeman started finding other ways to get him the ball.

Schneeman said he expects that to continue this season, with Grant getting the ball not just on the outside.

“The more spots we put him the harder it’s going to be for defenses to make a note of where he’s at,” Schneeman said. ”It also is going to give us the opportunity to give him the ball in different spaces."

The football team struggled in 2024, going 1-8 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year.

Grant said goal No. 1 is getting the Barbs back into the postseason.

“I feel like we play our cards right and have people that actually care about what we’re doing, and we hold ourselves to a certain standard like we do for basketball, we’ll have great success with the season,” Grant said.

Like Reynolds, Schneeman said Grant made a big leap between his sophomore and junior years. Getting back to the playoffs is an obvious goal for him, and Schneeman said he’s upped his leadership to help the Barbs reach that goal.

“All he talks about is the playoffs,” Schneeman said. “He’s becoming more of a leader, which is something he needed to have done. Playing varsity football as a younger guy he didn’t have to be a vocal leader. We’re asking him to do that now. [Making the playoffs] is a huge goal for him. It’s the first thing he’ll talk about. It’s not the individual goals. He’s more team-oriented. All he wants to do this year is bring us back to the playoffs and go as far as he’s able to take us.”

Grant said he’s looking forward to his final high school year, even if it ends up being abbreviated.

“I got all the hard work with school out of the way now so I can have a nice and easy final year,” Grant said. “I’m hoping to have it like that, even if it is a partial year. Nice, easy and have fun.”