High school basketball: Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 rankings for Jan. 1, 2023

Nearly every team plays three to five games during the holiday tournament week. It’s a full reboot of the season, so I start fresh with the rankings. It’s a blank sheet of paper with the numbers 1 through 25 running down the side and I go from there.

The full season resume counts of course, but I’m not worried about where anyone was ranked a week ago.

Bolingbrook, Perspectives-Leadership, Hinsdale Central and Libertyville all join the Super 25 today. Bolingbrook and Perspectives-Leadership began the season ranked. Both teams finally have all their key players and played well over the holidays.

Hinsdale Central and Libertyville won holiday tournaments and beat ranked teams in the championship games, so they were easy calls. Lemont, St. Patrick, Marist and Barrington drop out for now.

I was hoping to get Grayslake Central, the champions at Jacobs, into the rankings but there just wasn’t room. The Rams lost their first game of the season and have ripped off 13 consecutive wins.

Evanston nearly returned to the rankings after nice run at Centralia. The Wildkits lost to St. Louis Cardinal Ritter (a team that beat St. Rita and lost to Joliet West) in the championship game.

Super 25 for Jan. 1, 2023With record and last week’s ranking

1. Simeon (12-0) 1Pontiac champions

2. Young (12-4) 5Proviso West champs

3. Kenwood (12-2) 2Lost to Young

4. Benet (16-1) 7Fell short vs. Simeon

5. Rolling Meadows (16-1) 13York champions

6. Hillcrest (16-1) 8Big Dipper champs

7. Mount Carmel (15-1) 11Won Pekin

8. Joliet West (11-4) 3Faces Rolling Meadows Saturday

9. St. Rita (8-5) 4Fell short against Young

10. Brother Rice (14-2) 6Plays Bolingbrook Saturday

11. Lyons (11-1) 16Solid run at York

12. Curie (11-4) 12At Kenwood Thursday

13. Bloom (9-3) 15Lost to Benet

14. Proviso East (10-2) 20Only losses are Benet, Kenwood

15. St. Ignatius (13-3) 9Fell short against Lyons

16. New Trier (14-3) 10Lost to Curie

17. Lincoln-Way East (14-1) 17Champs at Effingham

18. Bolingbrook (10-4) NRHealthy and dangerous

19. Downers Grove North (12-1) 24Very big week ahead

20. Hinsdale Central (12-3) NRHinsdale Central champions

21. Perspectives-Leadership (12-4) NRSecond place at the Big Dipper

22. Oswego East (13-3) 19Second place at Hinsdale Central

23. Hyde Park (14-2) 18Lost to Perspectives-Leadership

24. Libertyville (13-3) NRWon Wheeling

25. Glenbrook North (14-1) 14Lost to Libertyville

Read More