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

Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 high school basketball rankings for Jan. 14, 2024

Curie’s Will Gonzalez (1) moves the ball past Kenwood’s Demari Stephens (22). (KIrsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times)

The rankings were finished before I realized that after dropping Lincoln Park (the Lions lost to Westinghouse this week) there is no longer a Red-North/West team in the Super 25. I’ve been doing the rankings for two decades and the Red-West has been a staple: Young, Marshall, Farragut, Orr, Crane, North Lawndale, Westinghouse, Farragut.

There’s a chance that Lincoln Park, Young, Lane or Westinghouse could heat up and reappear at some point this season, but for now, this is the first Super 25 in recent memory without a team from the Red-North/West.

The Red-South/Central is also struggling. Curie is No. 1, but Kenwood has slipped to No. 21 and could easily have fallen out of the rankings entirely this week.

York joins. The Dukes have won 13 of their last 14 games, recently beating Yorkville and Oak Park. The loss in there was to Bolingbrook.

Waubonsie Valley and Rich made big jumps this week after significant wins. Look out for the Raptors, they are a young team with a bright future....and a former Red-West coach, Lou Adams.

Super 25 for Jan. 14, 2024
With record and last week’s ranking

1. Curie (17-1) 1
Dominated Kenwood

2. Homewood-Flossmoor (15-1) 2
Hosts Romeoville Monday

3. Mount Carmel (18-2) 3
Faces Kenwood Saturday

4. Thornton (14-2) 4
Depth will be tested

5. Benet (15-2) 6
Hosts Thornton Saturday

6. Waubonsie Valley (17-0) 12
Beat Normal

7. Downers Grove North (15-3) 7
Missing Jack Stanton

8. Bloom (11-5) 13
Huge three-win week

9. Brother Rice (18-2) 10
Challenging week ahead

10. Warren (17-3) 5
Lost to Lake Forest

11. DePaul Prep (17-1) 11
At Brother Rice Friday