Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 high school basketball…

Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 high school basketball rankings for Dec. 31, 2023

Homewood-Flossmoor’s Bryce Heard (2) reacts during the Big Dipper Championship game against Thornton. (Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times)

The holiday tournament week felt wilder than it was. Yes, there is a change at the top (more on that later) but considering the parity around the area this season the rankings from a week ago held up pretty well considering that hundreds of games were played.

Four teams drop out: Young, Hyde Park, Lindblom and Niles North. I’m still very high on the Dolphins’ potential, but they just don’t have a resume worthy of the Super 25 right now. I believe this may be the first Super 25 I have ever done that didn’t contain Simeon or Young?

Neuqua Valley, Marian Catholic, Palatine and West Aurora join. It’s the season debut for the first three teams. Those four (along with previously ranked Romeoville) were probably the biggest stock-risers last week. Lincoln-Way East is knocking on the door.

The decision at No. 1 wasn’t as difficult as I expected. Generally, I lean hard on resume for the No. 1 spot after the holiday tournaments. The decision came down to Curie and Homewood-Flossmoor. Mount Carmel is unbeaten in the state and DePaul is unbeaten overall, but neither Catholic League school can currently match Curie and H-F resume-wise...yet.

Curie and Homewood-Flossmoor both lost to out-of-state schools, so throw that out. The Condors’ best wins are against Downers Grove North, West Aurora, New Trier and Benet. H-F’s top victories are against Marian Catholic, Bloom, Lincoln-Way East, Rich and Thornton.

At this point in the season, Curie’s wins against Downers Grove North and Benet are bigger than any of Homewood-Flossmoor’s wins except for possibly Thornton (although the Wildcats’ current resume is very dependent on out-of-area teams). So the Condors win the resume battle.

I’ve watched Curie six times (Sidwell Friends, Phillips, DGN, West Aurora, New Trier, Benet) and I’ve seen H-F play four games (Marian, Gonzaga, St. Ignatius, Thornwood). The Vikings are more talented. That isn’t going to change. But I’d take Curie to win a neutral-site game right now. The Condors are currently a more cohesive team.

Super 25 for Dec. 31, 2023
With record and last week’s ranking

1. Curie (14-1) 2
Pontiac champs

2. Homewood-Flossmoor (13-1) 3
Big Dipper winners

3. Mount Carmel (16-2) 4
Three consecutive Pekin wins

4. Warren (15-1) 8
Jaxson Davis dominates

5. Benet (14-1) 9
Growing up quickly

6. Downers Grove North (12-2) 6
Lost to Metamora

7. DePaul Prep (15-0) 7
Hinsdale Central champs

8. Thornton (11-2) 1
Losses to Bloom, H-F

9. Brother Rice (15-2) 5
At Lane Wednesday

10. Bolingbrook (12-2) 12
Second place at York

11. Kenwood (10-3) 11
Lost to Warren