Illinois High School Boys Basketball Top 25 State Rankings - Dec. 8, 2025

Curie, Kankakee, and Fremd all rise while Normal Community and Kaneland make their debut in the state rankings.

Lincoln Williams leads a Kankakee team that's moving upwards in the early season. / Photo Credit: Chucho Flowers

The past week was one that featured a lot of head-to-head games of teams within the Top 25 of Illinois high school basketball.

Curie rises into the Top 3 following their win over Warren. Benet climbs back into the Top 5 after a strong showing in Philadelphia. Kankakee and Fremd both appear to be on the rise. East St. Louis, Normal Community, and Rock Island are the three best teams south of the Chicago Metro.

1. DePaul Prep

Record: 5-1

Outlook: DePaul lost to nationally ranked La Lumiere in a game with firepower. Up next is Providence Catholic out of New Lenox. 

2. East St. Louis

Record: 2-1

Outlook: The Flyers are back up to the No. 2 spot after earning a 68-60 win over Edwardsville in their only game of the week. This week they face Belleville East and McCluer North who is ranked Top 15 in Missouri. 

3. Curie

Record: 2-0

Outlook: The Condors made a statement defeating Warren in a 65-60 game. 

4. Benet

Record: 7-1

Outlook: Benet traveled to Philadelphia and performed well winning all three of their games vs. top private schools in the region. Their 49-46 victory over Roman Catholic was a signature win.

5. St. Ignatius

Record: 6-0

Outlook: Few teams are playing at the level of St. Ignatius early on. This past week they defeated Whiteny Young in a close game. 

6. Marist

Record: 4-1

Outlook: Marist defeated King and lost to Sidwell Friends (DC) in a defensive contest. Their arrow is still pointing up as a state championship contender in the state. 

7. Kankakee

Record: 3-0

Outlook: Kankakee was excellent in their opening week of the season. Three quality, dominant wins. They’re a team who could quickly be on the rise in these state rankings. 

8. Warren

Record: 2-1

Outlook: Warren lost a close game to Curie. They’ll look to regroup vs. Grayslake North on the road. 

9. Homewood-Flossmoor

Record: 5-0

Outlook: Five games in, five wins down. Homewood-Flossmoor is one of the biggest risers in this update following a win over Bolingbrook. 

10. Loyola Academy

Record: 6-1

Outlook: Loyola doesn’t drop far after a ten point loss to DePaul. They followed that game up with a dominant victory over Taft. 

11. Fremd

Record: 5-0

Outlook: The team from Palatine are firing on all cylinders. At first they were a sleeper. Now, they’re looking like a team who could go far. 

12. Bolingbrook

Record: 4-1

Outlook: The Raiders earned two wins vs. Romeoville and Oswego followed by a Saturday game vs. Homewood-Flossmoor in what was one of the best games in the state. They lost 50-55. 

13. Waukegan

Record: 5-1

Outlook: Waukegan is for real. They have won games by large margins and their only loss was in a two point heartbreaker. 

14. New Trier

Record: 5-1

Outlook: The Treviens are set to play two games this week. One on the road vs. Zion-Benton and a home game vs. Deerfield on Friday. 

15. Oswego East

Record: 5-0

Outlook: The Wolves handled Plainfield East and Plainfield North easily. Up next is Romeoville, Bolingbrook, and Curie. This upcoming week will say a lot about this team. 

16. Normal Community

Record: 5-0

Outlook: The Ironmen have set the standard in the middle of the state over the past couple of seasons. This year is no different. They’re off to a perfect start. 

17. Whitney Young

Record: 4-1

Outlook: Whitney Young was close to winning a tight game against St. Ignatius. In the end, a 60-61 loss doesn’t impact their ranking greatly. 

18. St. Laurence

Record: 6-0

Outlook: The Vikings have three games this week which includes contests vs. Providence-St. Mel, Fenwick, and Payton College Prep. 

19. Glenbard East

Record: 5-0

Outlook: A team with chemistry and solid pieces at all three levels. They’re 5-0 following a win over St. Charles North. 

20. Evanston

Record: 4-2

Outlook: Evanston knew they’d have a tough week of games and they went 1-2 vs. tough competition. Losses to Fremd and Waukegan shouldn’t be overlooked by a win against Deerfield. This is a young but talented team who will only get better. 

21. Simeon

Record: 4-1

Outlook: Simeon’s week included a win over Morgan Park and a loss to Chaminade (MO).

22. Kenwood

Record: 4-0

Outlook: Kenwood won all of their games last week. Up next is Englewood Stem, Hyde Park, and Peoria Richwoods. 

23. Rock Island

Record: 3-0

Outlook: Rock Island remains unbeaten after a 75-45 win over Quincy. 

24. Rich Township

Record: 4-1

Outlook: Rich played three games last week including wins over Bogan and Thorton. Their one loss came to St. Laurence in a 55-57 nail biter. 

25. Kaneland

Record: 4-0

Outlook: Kaneland is answering all the early season tests. Their next game is against Hancock on Wednesday.