Final Illinois Basketball Top 40
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After nearly four long months, the IHSA boys basketball season came to a close Saturday night in Champaign. It was surely a season to remember. In 2A, Phillips Academy captured its first Championship in nearly 50 years. It’s previous 2A…
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Continue ReadingAfter nearly four long months, the IHSA boys basketball season came to a close Saturday night in Champaign. It was surely a season to remember. In 2A, Phillips Academy captured its first Championship in nearly 50 years. It’s previous 2A champions, DePaul Prep, bumped up a class and won it in 3A. Which is something no team in the four-class system has ever done. To cap things off, Homewood-Flossmor, led by a 21-point performance from top 2025 prospect Bryce Heard Bryce Heard 6'6" | SG Homewood Flossmoor | 2025 State #86 Nation IL , took home it’s first 4A championship.
Homewood-Flossmor reign supreme and finishes the season number 1. A spot they held on numerous occesions throughout the season. Despite losing to the 4A runner-ups in the regular season, DePaul Prep finishes number 2. The Rams lost an OT classic to Normal back in January. But they were coming off a 2OT win over Brother Rice less than 20 hours before. Their only other loss came to H-F. Additionally, they stormed through the 3A playoffs, winning every game by double-digits.
2A champion Phillips makes its debut. They showed they were a team that was heavily overlooked and earned their way into the rankings. The junior guard trio of Amari Edwards Amari Edwards 5'8" | PG Phillips | 2025 State IL , Lawrence Horton, and Phoenix Childs Phoenix Childs 6'4" | SF Phillips | 2025 State IL came through when needed. All three could have their stocks boosted as well.
FINAL 2023-2024 RANKINGS
RANK | SCHOOL | RECORD | PRESEASON RANK | NOTES |
1 | Homewood-Flossmor | 34-4 | 8 | 4A champs. Season for the ages. |
2 | DePaul Prep | 35-2 | 9 | 3A champs. Capable of a three-peat. |
3 | Normal | 32-6 | 3 | 4A runner-up. Tons to be proud of. |
4 | Curie | 31-3 | 12 | Condors always compete. Lost heartbreaking super-sectional to H-F |
5 | Mt. Carmel | 32-6 | 6 | 3A runner-up. Ciaravino leaves his mark |
6 | Peoria Richwoods | 30-5 | 7 | Sommerville’s return doesn’t dissapoint. 3rd in 3A. |
7 | Thornton | 29-5 | 5 | Morez Johnson Morez Johnson 6'9" | PF Thornton | 2024 State #33 Nation IL wins Player of the Year. Fell in supers to Richwoods. |
8 | Metamora | 30-5 | 1 | Richwoods spoils repeat chances in sectional final. |
9 | Quincy | 31-4 | 10 | Heartbreaking sectional-final loss. Bradley Longcor Bradley Longcor 6'3" | PG Quincy | 2025 State #337 Nation IL leads exciting group of returners. |
10 | Brother Rice | 31-4 | 32 | Exceeded expectations. |
11 | Downers Grove North | 29-5 | 4 | Couldn’t get past Normal in supers. |
12 | Bolingbrook | 26-5 | 17 | Had several big wins, but couldn’t get past sectionals. |
13 | Kenwood | 24-8 | 2 | An up-and-down season leads to a sectional semifinal loss. Broncos will be back. |
14 | Mt. Zion | 35-3 | NR | 4th in 3A. Will definitely contend again next season. |
15 | New Trier | 29-8 | 38 | Back-to-back third place finishes in 4A. Christopher Kirkpatrick Christopher Kirkpatrick 6'3" | PG New Trier | 2026 State IL is the real deal. |
16 | Warren | 31-5 | NR | Jaxon Davis Jaxon Davis 6'5" | SF IL is a contender for the #1 spot in 2027. Upset in supers by Palatine. |
17 | Kankakee | 27-5 | NR | Another team that exceeded expectations. Look out for Lincoln Williams Lincoln Williams 6'5" | SF Kankakee | 2026 State IL . |
18 | Benet | 26-7 | 16 | Top 2026 Gabe Sularski will lead a promising Redwing junior class. |
19 | Palatine | 28-10 | NR | Cinderella run to state. 4th in 4A |
20 | Simeon | 17-14 | 13 | Got hot at the right time. Close loss to Curie in sectional final. |
21 | Bloom | 19-10 | 22 | Had the season I expected. |
22 | Marist | 29-5 | 31 | Stephen Brown Stephen Brown 6'7" | PF Marist | 2026 State IL will lead a promising junior class next season. |
23 | Centralia | 32-3 | NR | Make their marks. Lost nail-bitter to Mt. Zion in supers. |
24 | Waubonsie Valley | 27-3 | NR | Far-exceeded expectations. Unbeaten until February. |
25 | De La Salle | 23-12 | 15 | Played a very difficult national schedule. Coach Gary Decesare has the Meteors back on the map. |
26 | Phillips | 25-9 | NR | 2A champs. Underrated all season. |
27 | Lake Park | 27-4 | NR | Upset on a buzzer-beater in sectional semifinal |
28 | Glenbrook North | 25-8 | 26 | Also upset at the buzzer by New Trier. Sectional finalist. |
29 | East St. Louis | 20-13 | 14 | Upset in sectional semifinals. |
30 | Loyola | 27-6 | 25 | Another strong overall season for the Ramblers. |
31 | Marian Catholic | 22-11 | NR | Surprising season. Picked up several nice wins throughout the year. |
32 | Collinsville | 28-5 | NR | Promising season cut short in regionals. |
33 | Rockford Guilford | 26-5 | 39 | Unbeaten in NIC-10. Early exit in playoffs. |
34 | Moline | 27-7 | 29 | A 4A repeat was not to be. |
35 | Rich Township | 23-8 | NR | Jamson Coulter Jamson Coulter 6'2" | SG Rich Township | 2026 State IL has so much promise. |
36 | St. Patrick | 25-10 | NR | Promising run to the supers. Lost in OT to Mt. Carmel. |
37 | Riverside-Brookfield | 26-5 | NR | Stefan Cicic Stefan Cicic 7'0" | C Riverside Brookfield | 2024 State IL left his mark. |
38 | Glenbard North | 22-12 | NR | Incredible run to the super-sectionals. |
39 | Lake Forest | 25-8 | NR | Ran into DePaul |
40 | Lincoln Park | 21-10 | NR | Lions couldn’t get past difficult 4A sectional. |