Michael O'Brien's final Super 25 high school basketball rankings for the 2023-24 season

Homewood-Flossmoor finishes on top and DePaul Prep earns the No. 2 ranking ahead of Curie.

By Michael O’Brien

Homewood-Flossmoor's Bryce Heard (2) controls the ball during the Vikings' IHSA Class 4A state championship victory against Normal. — Homewood-Flossmoor’s Bryce Heard (2) controls the ball during the Vikings’ IHSA Class 4A state championship victory against Normal.

The final rankings take care of themselves for the most part. Success in the playoffs is the top factor, followed by regular-season victories. Winning conference or a holiday tournament definitely helps, and head-to-head results are usually the tiebreaker.

The toughest decision for me was on the No. 2 spot. Curie or DePaul Prep? The Rams obviously impressed in Champaign this weekend, but Class 3A was watered down overall. DePaul Prep reached the state-championship game without defeating a top-tier Chicago area team.

Curie lost to Homewood-Flossmoor by two points and was in control for most of the supersectional, and the Condors had a better regular season overall than DePaul Prep. Except for one tiny blemish: Curie’s loss to Lindblom.

DePaul Prep never had a letdown, so it gets the No. 2 spot over Curie.

Final Super 25 rankings for the 2023-24 season

With record and preseason ranking

1. Homewood-Flossmoor (33-4) 4
2. DePaul Prep (35-2) 13
3. Curie (31-3) 7
4. Mount Carmel (32-6) 5
5. New Trier (30-8) 18
6. Thornton (29-5) 2
7. Palatine (28-10) NR
8. Warren (31-5) NR
9. Downers Grove North (31-5) 3
10. Bolingbrook (27-5) 15
11. Brother Rice (31-4) 12
12. Bloom (19-10) 11
13. Benet (27-7) 14
14. Marist (29-5) 8
15. Kenwood (24-8) 1
16. Joliet West (21-10) 22
17. Rich (23-8) NR
18. De La Salle (23-12) 16
19. Loyola (27-7) NR
20. Glenbrook North (25-8) 24
21. Kankakee (27-5) NR
22. Waubonsie Valley (27-3) NR
23. Simeon (17-14) 9
24. Neuqua Valley (23-10) NR
25. Phillips (25-9) NR