That is the very best week of the season for a lot of highschool basketball junkies. Sectional basketball brings collectively the very best groups within the state to play massively consequential video games in native highschool gyms.
Vacation match time is enjoyable and the state finals are clearly large. Nevertheless, nothing within the sport is as electrical as a serious playoff matchup performed in an area highschool gymnasium. After this week, virtually all of the video games happen in school venues.
The Illinois Excessive College Affiliation did a pleasant job choosing the Class 4A sectional areas this season. There isn’t a dud within the bunch. Benet, St. Charles East, New Trier, Hinsdale Central, Wealthy, Schaumburg, Waukegan and Collinsville have wonderful gyms that add one other layer of luster to the sectional video games.
New Trier’s new facility is a highschool basketball palace. It doesn’t have any historical past but, however that may are available in time. This week’s video games are Evanston vs. Lane on Tuesday and Niles North vs. Loyola on Wednesday. The winners play on Friday. For those who haven’t seen New Trier’s gymnasium but this is a wonderful probability. The Trevians have proven the state that nice issues are nonetheless attainable with new building.
Waukegan’s Canine Pound is without doubt one of the state’s greatest and most historic venues. It is going to be alive this week. The hosts tackle Guilford on Wednesday and Warren faces DeKalb on Tuesday. If the Bulldogs and Warren win it units up a Waukegan-Warren showdown on Friday which might be a must-see.
Waukegan’s gymnasium is house to one of many nice pictures in state historical past, Jereme Richmond’s simply previous half-court buzzer-beater in 2009. That was in a Warren vs. Waukegan sectional sport.
Glenbard East’s resurgent second half
Glenbard East opened the season 1-3. The Rams had a tough time over the vacations as nicely, dropping three consecutive video games at York’s Jack Tosh Vacation Match.
However issues started turning round after a one-point loss at Riverside-Brookfield in mid-January. Glenbard East is 12-1 since then, with wins towards North Lawndale, Lindblom, Wheaton Academy and Riverside-Brookfield. The one loss was to a very good Deerfield staff.
Rams guard Michael Nee is an under-the-radar stat. The junior averages 19 factors, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. He was the Upstate Eight Participant of the Yr and has already scored greater than 1,000 factors in his profession.
“I might put Mike up towards any shooter within the state,” Rams coach Eric Kelly mentioned.
Glenbard East is 22-10 heading into its sectional semifinal sport towards Glenbard West on Tuesday.
Tremendous 25 updates
The rankings held up very nicely via the regionals. Solely Hinsdale Central, Lincoln Park and West Aurora misplaced and no Super 25 groups misplaced to unranked groups.
Hinsdale Central and Lincoln Park keep within the rankings however may drop out subsequent week relying on what occurs within the sectionals. West Aurora is gone and Bloom slots in at No. 25.
The Blazing Trojans lack a go-to scorer, however they’re deep and play arduous and have developed some good measurement over the course of the season. Bloom was red-hot in February with two wins towards Wealthy and victories towards Joliet West and Lincoln-Means East.
Tremendous 25 highschool basketball rankings for Mar. 2, 2025
With file and final week’s rating
1. Kenwood (29-1) 1
Survived Donte Montgomery
2. Bolingbrook (29-4) 2
Faces Downers North Tuesday
3. Marist (31-2) 3
At Wealthy on Wednesday
4. Homewood-Flossmoor (29-3) 5
Dominated Romeoville
5. Benet (28-5) 6
Hosts Waubonsie Valley Wednesday
6. DePaul Prep (28-4) 7
Heavy favourite at Antioch
7. St. Laurence (28-5) 8
Faces Hyde Park Tuesday
8. Mount Carmel (27-5) 9
Difficult week forward
9. Brother Rice (27-6) 10
Hosts Hillcrest Tuesday
10. Curie (23-9) 14
Justin Oliver rising
11. Waubonsie Valley (31-2) 11
Moses Wilson nonetheless accessible
12. Evanston (27-5) 12
Robust one vs. Lane Tuesday
13. Wealthy (22-8) 15
Residence benefit this week
14. Simeon (21-7) 16
Took down St. Ignatius
15. Younger (20-13) 20
Beat Lincoln Park
16. Hinsdale Central (29-4) 4
Season full
17. Kankakee (25-5) 17
Faces Metamora Tuesday
18. Glenbard West (26-5) 18
Survived Luke Smith
19. Waukegan (23-7) 9
Hosts Guilford Wednesday
20. Lincoln Park (23-7) 13
Season full
21. Lake Forest (22-9) 21
Faces Deerfield Wednesday
22. Warren (23-10) 23
DeKalb will likely be a problem
23. Rolling Meadows (28-4) 24
Peaking on the proper itme
24. Niles North (27-6) 25
Faces Loyola Wednesday
25. Bloom (21-8)
Wholesome and harmful
