A few personal thoughts on the Top 25....

I didn't anticipate ranking Hales Franciscan as high as I did, especially after watching such an up-and-down season

a year ago. But it's simply hard to ignore a team with this much talent. And this year comes experience, which

could be blamed for an awful lot last year. I think point guard D.J. Cooper is the key. But you have Division I recruits

in Matt Humphrey and big Josh Crittle, along with Cooper and transfer Jordan Walker.... This is the first time in years

the Hoops Report top five in the Chicago area features teams all within the city limits of Chicago. In the past there

has always been a suburban power among the top five, whether it be West Aurora, Glenbrook North, Proviso East

or one of the perennial powers from the south suburbs.... It's hard to ignore the potential matchups between

preseason top 25 teams as far as the importance those games could play in the regular season. The New Trier-

Evanston battle, which is already one of the best rivalries in the state, should be fun to watch in the Central

Suburban South as both are among the top 10. You have top 20 teams DeLaSalle and Mt. Carmel in the Catholic

League South and top five teams Marshall and Farragut in the Public League's Red-West.

Let the debate begin.

1. Whitney Young
2. Hales Franciscan
3. Simeon
4. Marshall
5. Farragut
6. Homewood-Flossmoor
7. New Trier
8. Oak Park
9. Evanston
10. Batavia
11. Bloom
12. Mt. Carmel
13. DeLaSalle
14. Zion-Benton
15. Richards
16. Curie
17. Wheaton North
18. St. Joseph
19. Lincoln Park
20. Von Steuben
21. Jacobs
22. Fenwick
23. Neuqua Valley
24. North Lawndale
25. Waukegan

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