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

Super 25 additions

Simeon: Robert Smith is expecting to make his return against Belleville West in O’Fallon on Saturday. The Wolverines were 6-3 without him. They fell out of the rankings after losing to Corliss but are back just a week later after knocking off Bolingbrook. This is a talented but wildly inconsistent young team.

Kankakee: The Kays have been looming just outside the Super 25 for almost two months. They took down Bloom on Friday and are more than deserving of a spot now. Talented big man TJ Wicks can be a force and the Binion brothers, Jacquan and Darion, are consistent and rock solid. Darion has improved significantly since last season.

Farragut: Aaron Strong doesn’t have to do so much anymore. The Admirals were relying on him for a ton early in the season but William Nelson’s talented young players have grown up a bit and 6-5 senior Demetrius Schaffer is back from injury. Their only losses in 2019 are to Lincoln Park by four points and Bogan by three points.

Dropping out

Leo: It’s been a tumultuous season on 79th street. Expect Fred Cleveland to get the Lions back into the rankings eventually, but recent losses to Maine South and Brother Rice have knocked them out for now.

Benet: It was easy to overlook the consolation loss to Wheaton-Warrenville South on Monday. It was the second game the Redwings played that day and losers bracket results are not a solid indication of a team’s quality. But the loss to Carmel on Friday knocks Benet out.

West Aurora: The Blackhawks’ stay was brief. They lost to St. Charles East, a talented but enigmatic team, on Saturday.

The week ahead

-Most of the Public League will take the week off before the city playoffs start up in February, so the attention will turn to the suburbs. East Aurora is hosting an excellent shootout on Saturday with four good games: Naperville North vs. Lincoln Park, East Aurora vs. Lyons, Geneva vs. Aurora Christian and York vs. Oswego East.

-Evanston has two tricky road games this week. The Wildkits play at Loyola on Tuesday and at Oak Park on Saturday.

Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 basketball rankings

With record and last week’s ranking

1. Curie (24-1) 1

Handled Corliss

2. Bogan (21-2) 2

Beat Hyde Park

3. Morgan Park (22-3) 4

18 consecutive wins

4. Bloom (19-2) 3

Stumbled in Kankakee

5. Young (19-6) 5

Beat Orr

6. Evanston (20-4) 7

At Loyola Tuesday

7. Marian Catholic (21-3) 8

Three-win week

8. Lincoln Park (16-6) 12

Underrated seniors

9. Bolingbrook (14-6) 6

Lost to Lincoln-Way East

10. Homewood-Flossmoor (15-5) 9

Took down Hillcrest

11. New Trier (19-3) 10

Hosts Glenbrook South Friday

12. St. Laurence (19-3) 13

Hosts Loyola Friday

13. Geneva (20-1) 16

Handled WW South

14. Orr (16-10) 14

Lost at Young

15. York (21-3) 17

Faces Oswego East Saturday

16. Simeon (13-12) NR

Beat Bolingbrook

17. DePaul Prep (14-7) 15

Lost in OT at Quincy

18. Stevenson (17-3) 19

Beat Zion-Benton

19. Waukegan (20-4) 20

Ron Ashlaw has won 300

20. Providence-St. Mel (18-5) 21

Beat North Chicago

21. Farragut (14-6) NR

Getting healthy

22. Notre Dame (14-8) 22

Lost to Waukegan

23. Oak Park (13-7) 23

Hosts Evanston Saturday

24. Lindblom (21-2) 25

Win streak up to 18

25. Kankakee (14-5) NR

TJ Wicks can be a force