High school basketball: Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 rankings for Feb. 12, 2023
Simeon players celebrate after they defeat Kenwood in the city championship game.
Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times
Forget all that worry about the top-ranked team. Simeon cemented itself as the No. 1 team by winning the city title. It took five overtimes to dispatch Curie and Kenwood, but the Wolverines got it done.
There were a a lot of losses in the second tier of teams. Hillcrest, Brother Rice, Rolling Meadows, Bolingbrook and Mount Carmel all lost to unranked or lower ranked teams. That’s a group that has a very established track record, so none of them fell too far but it is concerning to see teams with very high playoff aspirations losing games they should be winning this late in the season.
Downers Grove North jumped all the way into the top ten. The Trojans picked up solid wins this week against Waubonsie Valley and Glenbard West, but the major factor in the rise was so many teams losing winnable games while Downers Grove North appears to be improving. The Trojans haven’t lost since a two-point defeat to Hinsdale Central on Jan. 7.
Super 25 for Feb. 12, 2023
With record and last week’s ranking
1. Simeon (26-3) 1
City champions
2. Benet (27-1) 2
Handled Marist
3. Kenwood (23-6) 3
Jaden Smith is a factor
4. Joliet West (24-5) 4
The top seed at Bolingbrook
5. Curie (19-10) 7
Nearly took down Simeon again
6. Young (21-6) 5
Still a major threat
7. Hillcrest (25-3) 6
Stumbled vs. TF North
8. Hinsdale Central (27-3) 10
Hottest team in the area
9. Brother Rice (26-4) 8
Lost to Lemont
10. Downers Grove North (25-3) 16
Has improved steadily
11. Oswego East (24-5) 13
Dominating the Southwest Prairie
12. New Trier (26-4) 14
Beat Glenbrook North
13. Rolling Meadows (25-5) 9
Lost to Glenbrook North
14. Bolingbrook (22-7) 11
Lost to Neuqua Valley
15. Mount Carmel (23-6) 15
Still unpredictable
16. St. Rita (19-10) 20
Promising signs lately
17. Proviso East (21-6) 17
At Leyden Tuesday
18. Lincoln-Way East (23-4) 18
Beat Homewood-Flossmoor
19. Marist (23-6) 19
So many talented underclassmen
20. Lyons (22-5) 22
Fell short vs. Hinsdale Central
21. Hyde Park (22-6) 12
Dark horse in Class 3A
22. Marian Catholic (22-7) 23
Big test vs. De La Salle Thursday
23. Yorkville (24-5) 25
At Lincoln-Way East Tuesday
24. Lemont (24-6) NR
Castillo twins back, doing damage
25. Glenbrook North (24-4) 21
Must overcome a key injury