It was a slow week, so things were quiet overall in the Super 25. St. Laurence drops out after losing to Montini and Orr joins.
New addition to the Super 25
Orr: It’s the season debut in the Super 25 for the Spartans. Several transfers have been cleared to play over the past few weeks, including Sherif Kenney, a 6-4 forward that last played for national powerhouse Findlay Prep. He has several Division I offers and has made an immediate impact for Orr. The Spartans play at Uplift on Wednesday.
Dropping out
St. Laurence: Montini beat the Vikings 68-64 on Friday and knocked them out of the rankings. Junior Jeremiah Williams is one of the area’s top players and he will have plenty of chances to get his team back in the rankings in the upcoming stretch against Leo, Richards and DePaul Prep.
The week ahead
-Curie beat then No. 2 Bloom in the championship game at Pontiac. Just a couple weeks later the Condors are faced with another No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown. Curie will have a massive test on Tuesday at Bogan. This game features the Pontiac and Proviso West champs playing in one of the state’s loudest atmospheres.
-Friday is loaded with fun showdowns in the suburbs. Evanston hosts New Trier, Stevenson hosts Waukegan and visiting Romeoville should give Oswego East a challenge. Oak Park also has a chance to make a statement against York.
-There are quality slates at several shootouts on Saturday. DePaul Prep hosts five good games. The host Rams will play Morgan Park and St. Viator takes on Waukegan in the last game of the night. Bogan and Farragut headline a shootout at U-High and South Elgin and Oswego East will play at the Downers Grove North shootout.
-It is time for Simeon to win. The Wolverines are holding on to a lofty ranking considering a 6-9 record. Their only local losses are to Bogan and Curie (twice). This week Simeon has to win. It will host Kenwood on Tuesday and then headlines the Bob Hambric Shootout at TF North on Saturday against Hillcrest.
Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 basketball rankings
With record and last week’s ranking
1. Curie (15-1) 1
Lost to Salesian, CA
2. Bogan (14-1) 2
Hosts Curie Tuesday
3. Bloom (15-1) 3
Donovan Newby heating up
4. Marian Catholic (15-1) 4
Chris White steps up
5. Morgan Park (11-3) 5
At DePaul Prep Saturday
6. Young (13-6) 6
Split a pair in Memphis
7. Evanston (16-3) 7
Hosts New Trier Friday
8. Geneva (15-0) 8
The only unbeaten
9. Simeon (6-9) 9
Kenwood, Hillcrest this week
10. St. Viator (14-2) 10
Faces Waukegan Saturday
11. Homewood-Flossmoor (9-4) 11
Plays Fenwick Saturday
12. DePaul Prep (11-3) 12
Statement game vs. Morgan Park
13. Leo (13-3) 13
Myles Thomas is a factor
14. Bolingbrook (9-3) 14
Tyler Cochran is back
15. York (14-1) 15
At Oak Park Friday
16. Benet (13-3) 16
Dominated Marian Central
17. Oswego East (11-3) 17
Lost to Normal
18. Fremd (11-3) 18
Had the week off
19. Uplift (9-4) 19
Big win in Detroit
20. Lincoln Park (10-6) 20
Tough week ahead
21. New Trier (14-2) 22
Size advantage vs. Evanston
22. Providence-St. Mel (11-4) 23
At De La Salle Tuesday
23. Waukegan (13-3) 24
Bryant Brown can throw it down
24. Kenwood (11-4) 25
Simeon and Curie this week
25. Orr (10-7) NR
Major transfer cleared