Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 high school basketball rankings for Feb. 4, 2024

Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

This was supposed to be a down year for Evanston. The Wildkits don’t have any stars and weren’t winning against the area’s best teams early in the season.

But that was a long time ago. The high school basketball season is a marathon and Mike Ellis has once again proven that he is one of the state’s elite coaches. Evanston’s last five games have shown significant improvement.

The Wildkits lost to Loyola by three points on Jan. 23 and then ripped off wins against Maine South, St. Patrick, De La Salle and New Trier. And now they are ranked. No one saw this coming.

There were several additions to the Super 25 this week. Lake Park, which has put together a really solid season, returns after wins against York and Glenbard North.

De La Salle rejoins. The Meteors have been very good since returning to the area. Joliet West is also back. The Tigers are the hottest team in the Southwest Prairie, with recent wins against Romeoville, Oswego East and West Aurora.

Neuqua Valley, one of the area’s most consistent teams this season, has hit a rough patch. The Wildcats lost to Hampshire, Glenbrook South and Metea Valley this week and they are out of the rankings for now.

Glenbrook North falls out after losing to Maine South. York drops after defeats to Lake Park and Lyons and Bradley-Bourbonnais is gone after losing to Lincoln-Way West and Moline.

Super 25 rankings for Feb. 4, 2024
With record through Saturday and last week’s ranking

1. Homewood-Flossmoor (24-3) 1
Lost to Fishers, Ind.

2. Curie (24-2) 2
Favorites to win the city title

3. Thornton (23-3) 3
Beat Kankakee again

4. Mount Carmel (24-3) 5
Winning without Ciaravino

5. Downers Grove North (22-4) 7
Beat Oak Park, Lyons, Proviso West

6. Bolingbrook (20-4) 10
Won at Waubonsie Valley

7. Waubonsie Valley (23-1) 4
How will Warriors respond to a loss?

8. DePaul Prep (24-2) 8
Hosts De La Salle Tuesday

9. Brother Rice (23-3) 9
Hosts Mount Carmel Friday

10. Benet (20-4) 6
Lost to Marist

11. Warren (24-4) 12
At Lake Forest Tuesday

12. Kankakee (20-3) 14
Beat Bloom

13. Kenwood (20-6) 15
Hosts Lincoln Park Tuesday

14. Marist (22-4) 18
So much upside

15. Rich (81-7) 16
At Bloom Friday

16. Loyola (23-5) 19
At De La Salle Friday

17. Bloom (14-8) 13
Still dangerous

18. Barrington (18-4) 21
Big one at Palatine Friday

19. New Trier (22-6) 17
Lost to Evanston

20. Lake Forest (20-5) 22
Beat Lake Zurich, Stevenson

21. Lake Park (24-3) NR
Beat York, Glenbard North

22. Evanston (19-9) NR
Wildkits are on fire

23. De La Salle (16-9) NR
Beat Fenwick, Iggy

24. Joliet West (17-9) NR
Hottest in the Southwest Prairie

25. Crystal Lake South (23-2) 25
Rolling through Fox Valley