High school basketball: Michael O’Brien’s final Super 25 rankings for the 2019-20 season

Six teams that were not in the preseason rankings finished in the Super 25.

By Michael O’Brien

Curie’s Ramean Hinton (23) celebrates after hitting a shot against Simeon.

Traditionally I let the state playoff results determine the final rankings and I serve as the tiebreaker. That wasn’t possible this season, for obvious reasons. That means the regular season weighs heavier than ever in the final rankings.

Only six teams that were not in the preseason rankings cracked the final Super 25. Here’s a quick look at each.

Joliet West: Loyal readers know this is my high school. So that should prove just how shocking the Tigers’ season was. New coach Jeremy Kreiger did a phenomenal job, turning a group that went 5-17 in 2018-19 into a team poised for Peoria.

Loyola: Two Division I big men usually means good things for a team. Concerns about the back court kept the Ramblers from cracking the preseason rankings. That was clearly not a problem and Loyola spent nearly all of the season in the Super 25.

Kankakee: I thought the Kays would be competitive this season, as they have been since Chris Pickett arrived, but they surpassed any expectations I had.

Glenbrook South: This wasn’t a big surprise. The Titans had Dom Martinelli and were always expected to crack the rankings at some point. They did play at a consistently higher level than expected.

Hinsdale South: Another school that was firmly on the radar at the start of the season and nearly cracked the preseason rankings. No surprise.

East Aurora: The Tomcats get into the final rankings after a tremendous playoff run.

Naperville Central: Based on the personnel returning this isn’t a huge shock. But the regular season wasn’t as successful as the playoff run.

With record and preseason ranking