High school basketball: Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 rankings for Jan. 30, 2022

Four new teams join, including Yorkville Christian. The Mustangs upset Kenwood on Saturday.

By Michael O’Brien

Glenbard West’s Andrew Moody, U of I jersey, holds up three fingers after Bobby Durkin hits a three as the Hilltoppers play St. Charles North.

It has been a rough couple of weeks for the elite Public League teams.

Glenbard West beat Young and Glenbrook South beat Simeon last week. On Saturday, it was Kenwood’s turn to lose to a suburban team.

Yorkville Christian beat the Broncos 75-68 at Orr’s Breast Cancer Shootout. Duke recruit Jaden Schutt scored 30, and senior KJ Vasser had 24 points.

The Mustangs are only 13-12 this season, but they’ve played a rugged schedule and are capable of beating any team in the state when Schutt and Vasser are hot.

Yorkville Christian has played nearly a dozen ranked teams and still has a game against St. Ignatius. It is the heavy favorite to win the Class 1A state title next month.

Kenwood’s focus now will be the city tournament, which starts Wednesday. The Broncos are one of the most talented teams in the state, but this loss was a good reminder that Mike Irvin’s team is very young overall and still needs to find a player capable of rebounding consistently.

Super 25 changes

Lemont, St. Ignatius, Bloom and Kankakee dropped out of the rankings this week after picking up losses.

The Wolfpack have hit their second low point of the season. They lost to Benet, Providence and Nazareth last week.

Thornton, which dominated Larkin on Saturday, is back in the Super 25. The Wildcats have won eight of their nine games since Illinois recruit Ty Rodgers returned from his hamstring injury.

Yorkville Christian returns after beating Kenwood. Clark, which has won seven consecutive games, also is back. St. Rita’s talented young team continues to improve. The Mustangs beat Mount Carmel by 21 points this week and played very well in a loss to Link Academy (Missouri), one of the best teams in the country, on Jan. 22

Underrated seniors

Almost every team in the Public League’s Red Division has a senior that observers feel is under-recruited. Lincoln Park has two: Chikere Nwosu and Chris Hammonds. The athletic senior guards are excellent shooters who have made significant improvements to their games over the last year.

“If we had a full season last year, a lot of people would have noticed them,” Lions coach Antwon Jennings said. “They are really good players that have had phenomenal senior seasons. COVID has really hurt their recruiting, just like it did with Julio Montes last year.”

IHSA COVID policy for playoffs

The Illinois High School Association has announced its procedure for COVID-19 withdrawals in the state basketball tournament

If a team is unable to play its playoff game, the school can decide to play with its junior-varsity team. Or a team can withdraw from the tournament, and the team it defeated will advance in its place. The school must notify the IHSA no later than six hours before the start time of the game.

Super 25 rankings for Jan. 30
With record and last week’s ranking

1. Glenbard West (24-0) 1
Two big wins this weekend

2. Simeon (20-2) 3
Favorite in city tournament

3. Glenbrook South (22-2) 2
Hosts Glenbrook North on Tuesday

4. New Trier (22-2) 7
Season split with Glenbrook South

5. Hillcrest (22-2) 6
Impressive win vs. WW South

6. Kenwood (18-6) 4
Wake-up call vs. Yorkville Christian

7. Curie (20-4) 5
Lost to Simeon

8. Young (15-8) 8
Lost to Bishop Gorman

9. Wheaton Warrenville South (23-2) 9
Lost to Hillcrest

10. Rolling Meadows (22-3) 12
Hosts Prospect on Friday

11. Hyde Park (17-6) 11
Solid season in Red-South/Central