Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 high school basketball rankings for Dec. 24, 2023

Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

It was a slow week overall, with five ranked teams not playing a game. There wasn’t any movement in the top 12 teams. 

All of the action this week took place down at the bottom of the rankings. De La Salle lost two games in Kentucky and has dropped out. Lake Park is out after a heavy loss to Hinsdale Central and West Aurora is gone after just one week since it wasn’t competitive at Brother Rice. 

Three teams have joined: Niles North, Hyde Park and Romeoville. 

I’ve been trying to add the Vikings for a while. They’ve won seven consecutive games since losing to DePaul Prep the ffirst week of the season. Niles North has quality wins against Lane, Niles West, Lake Forest and Taft. 

Hyde Park has Jurrell Baldwin, one of the state’s best seniors, and wins against Lindblom and Peoria Richwoods. 

Romeoville has also ripped off seven consecutive wins since losing to Joliet Central Thanksgiving week. Since then they’ve beaten the Steelmen, Joliet West and Fenwick

Super 25 for Dec. 24, 2023
With record and last week’s ranking

1. Thornton (8-1) 1
Survived vs. Kankakee

2. Curie (10-1) 2
Beat Crane

3. Homewood-Flossmoor (9-1) 3
Had the week off

4. Mount Carmel (12-2) 4
Favorites to win Pekin

5. Brother Rice (13-0) 5
Zavier Fitch dominated West Aurora

6. Downers Grove North (8-1) 6
Local favorites at York

7. DePaul Prep (11-0) 7
Faces Lincoln-Way Central Wednesday

8. Warren (11-1) 8
Surging into Proviso West

9. Benet (11-0) 9
Took down Naperville North

10. Bloom (6-3) 10
A lot to prove at Pontiac

11. Kenwood (7-2) 11
Devin Cleveland is back

12. Bolingbrook (8-1) 12
Major attraction at York

13. New Trier (12-1) 14
Dark horse at Pontiac

14. Waubonsie Valley (10-0) 16
Into the second round at Jacobs

15. Lincoln Park (9-3) 13
Lost at Phillips

16. Young (6-5) 15
Opens Proviso vs. Austin

17. Lindblom (9-4) 18
Favorites at Kankakee

18. Marist (10-1) 20
Team to beat at Centralia

19. Riverside-Brookfield (10-1) 19
Cameron Mercer playing well

20. Rich (7-3) 22
Ready to entertain at home

21. Niles North (10-1) NR
Major factor at Hinsdale Central

22. Kankakee (9-1) 23
Almost beat Thornton

23. Hyde Park (8-2) NR
Jurrell Baldwin can dominate

24. Loyola (9-3) 24
Holidays in Fort Myers

25. Romeoville (10-1) NR
Seven consecutive wins