Nearly all of the fans, coaches and players I’ve talked with have acknowledged that it is a season of parity around the area. That’s a good thing, because other than a few notable exceptions, no one is getting too worked up about the rankings right now.
This was a tough week. There are several teams still skating by on preseason hype that haven’t really proven anything. Meanwhile there are some unranked teams with four or so losses that may be better than several in the Super 25.
Thankfully, the holiday tournaments are just around the corner to provide some clarity.
West Aurora, which has won seven games in a row and impressed me last week, is the only new addition. The Blackhawks replace Glenbrook North, which lost to Prospect and drops out.
Lincoln Park beat Young and Oak Park this week and leaps up to No. 13. The Lions’ only local defeat was a 61-60 loss at Kenwood. Bolingbrook also makes a nice jump. It’s last three wins are against high-quality teams: Neuqua Valley, Lincoln-Way East and Hinsdale Central.
Super 25 for Dec. 17, 2023
With record and last week’s ranking
1. Thornton (7-1) 1
Beat Normal
2. Curie (9-1) 2
Top seed at Pontiac
3. Homewood-Flossmoor (9-1) 3
Could face Thornton at Big Dipper
4. Mount Carmel (11-2) 4
Lost to Webster Groves, Mo.
5. Brother Rice (12-0) 5
Crushed De La Salle
6. Downers Grove North (8-1) 7
Three-win week
7. DePaul (11-0) 9
Beat Loyola, Bloom
8. Warren (10-1) 8
The new favorite at Proviso West
9. Benet (10-0) 10
Beat Marist and St. Patrick
10. Bloom (6-3) 6
Major threat at Pontiac
11. Kenwood (6-2) 15
Solid wins vs. Phillips, Dyett
12. Bolingbrook (8-1) 17
Beat Lincoln-Way East
13. Lincoln Park (8-2) 20
Took down Young, Oak Park
14. New Trier (11-1) 16
Champs in Arizona
15. Young (5-5) 12
Still figuring it out
16. Waubonsie Valley (9-0) 18
Favorites at Jacobs
17. De La Salle (7-2) 13
Still a lot to prove
18. Lindblom (7-4) 14
Played 5 games last week
19. Riverside-Brookfield (9-1) 19
Hosts Bremen Tuesday
20. Marist (9-2) 21
Lost tough one at Benet
21. Lake Park (9-1) 23
Beat Glenbard North
22. Rich (6-3) 22
Lost two in D.C.
23. Kankakee (8-0) 24
At Thornton on Thursday
24. Loyola (9-3) 25
Beat Taft, lost to DePaul
25. West Aurora (9-2) NR
Seven consecutive wins
