Michael O’Brien’s Chicago-area Super 25 basketball rankings

SHARE Michael O’Brien’s Chicago-area Super 25 basketball rankings
curievssimeon_15_obt_CST121318.jpg

Curie’s Justin Harmon (24) pulls down a rebound. Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times.

Well this was a chore. There are tons of changes this week, including a new number one team and five new additions.

SUPER 25 ADDITIONS

Lincoln Park: The Lions knocked off Young on the road this week and took down New Trier over Thanksgiving.

New Trier: Sam Silverstein and Noah Osher stepped up nicely to hand Glenbrook South its first loss of the season.

York: The Dukes beat Benet last week and dominated Willowbrook on Saturday.

Providence-St. Mel: Back in the mix again. All of a sudden those losses to St. Laurence and DePaul Prep don’t look bad at all. The Knights beat Fenwick and North Lawndale this week.

Riverside-Brookfield: The Bulldogs are back as well. That loss to Farragut was quickly forgiven with so many ranked teams falling in the last seven days.

DROPPING OUT

Simeon: This was a tough decision. The Wolverines are clearly one of the 25 best teams in the area but they are 1-6 and their best/only local win is against Harlan

Hillcrest: No shame in the loss to Bloomington on Saturday but the 7-4 Hawks haven’t beaten any of the quality teams they’ve played this season.

Downers Grove North: The Trojans lost To Downers Grove South and Glenbard West

Lane: Gone after one week. The Indians fell to Marshall and Farragut.

Romeoville: Made it close, but lost to Bolingbrook.

THE WEEK AHEAD

-It is a huge rivalry week. Waukegan is at North Chicago on Tuesday. Thursday has Joliet Central at Joliet West and Oswego East at Oswego. Friday is loaded: Geneva at Batavia, St. Charles East at St. Charles North, Wheaton-Warrenville South at Wheaton North, Elgin at Larkin and West Aurora at East Aurora.

-Simeon may not be out of the rankings for long. The Wolverines host Homewood-Flossmoor on Friday. The Vikings are just the second suburban team to play at Simeon. Fenwick was the first two years ago.

-The best game of the week is on Friday. DePaul Prep hosts Leo in a matchup of two of the state’s top teams.

Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 basketball rankings

With record and last week’s ranking

1. Curie (10-0) 3

Beat Morgan Park, Simeon

2. Bloom (11-0) 2

So many weapons

3. Bogan (8-1) 5

Rashaun Agee is dominating

4. Leo (8-1) 6

No in state losses

5. Young (7-2) 1

Lost to Lincoln Park

6. Evanston (8-1) 7

At Zion-Benton Tuesday

7. Morgan Park (5-3) 4

Beat Kenwood, crushed by Curie

8. St. Viator (10-1) 8

Favorites at Wheeling

9. Benet (10-1) 20

Took down DePaul Prep

10. Marian Catholic (7-1) 12

Beat Waukegan

11. DePaul Prep (8-1) 11

Tyler Johnson can play

12. Homewood-Flossmoor (5-2) 9

Lost to Bloom again

13. Oswego East (7-1) 13

At Oswego Thursday

14. Bolingbrook (6-2) 16

Knocked off Romeoville

15. Uplift (7-2) 23

Beat Marshall, Crane

16. St. Laurence (9-1) 21

Hosts Marist Tuesday

17. Lincoln Park (6-4) NR

Beat Young

18. New Trier (7-1) NR

Sam Silverstein adds a lot

19. York (8-1) NR

Dominated Willowbrook

20. Providence-St. Mel (6-3) NR

Beat North Lawndale

21. Waukegan (7-2) 14

Jaylin Cunningham stepping up

22. Glenbrook South (8-1) 15

Lost to New Trier

23. Geneva (8-0) 24

Teacher strike is over

24. Riverside-Brookfield (9-1) NR

Andrew Veon throws it down

25. Kenwood (8-3) 17

Lost to Morgan Park

The Latest
Led by Fridays For Future, hundreds of environmental activists took to the streets to urge President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency and call for investment in clean energy, sustainable transportation, resilient infrastructure, quality healthcare, clean air, safe water and nutritious food, according to youth speakers.
The two were driving in an alley just before 5 p.m. when several people started shooting from two cars, police said.
The Heat jumped on the Bulls midway through the first quarter and never let go the rest of the night. With this Bulls roster falling short yet again, there is some serious soul-searching to do, starting with free agent DeMar DeRozan.
The statewide voter turnout of 19.07% is the lowest for a presidential primary election since at least 1960, according to Illinois State Board of Elections figures.