(Last week's ranking in parentheses; games through Wednesday)
1. Bloom Township 18-3 (1)
That loss to Sandburg on Martin Luther King Day is looking more and more like a mere hiccup. The Blazing Trojans have won three times since then, including Tuesday when they crushed Kankakee by 50 points. Henry Hicks was the main man against the Kays, proving again that while Donald Moore is its most well-known commodity, Bloom Township's talents extend beyond its senior guard.
2. Seton Academy 17-4 (2)
A five-point setback versus Farragut over the weekend couldn't diminish what the Sting accomplished last week. Most importantly, Seton took firm control of the Catholic League South by using a 21-point fourth-quarter run to upend Brother Rice on Friday. Three days before that, Seton took down a 16-win Marist club. Once more, the question must be asked: Who in Class 2A can stand up to the Sting?
3. Crete-Monee 14-5 (3)
Michael Orris' timely 3-pointer saved the Warriors from defeat against Rich East last Friday, but the victory couldn't completely smooth out all the rough edges. Crete-Monee's 15 turnovers and nine missed free throws are not the kind of statistics one expects to see from a top-five club. Five of those misfires at the line occurred in the final period, which helped put the Warriors in a precarious position.
4. Homewood-Flossmoor 15-5 (4)
Like a number of the Vikings' other wins this season, Tuesday night's verdict over Joliet West was decidedly lacking in style points. But while the 52-48 triumph wasn't pretty, it was meaningful, because it gave Homewood-Flossmoor some breathing room in the SouthWest Suburban Blue. By completing a season sweep of the second-place Tigers, the Vikings solidified their grip on the top spot.
5. Thornwood 13-6 (5)
It's evident that Thunderbirds coach Paul Slavich has never entered into an unholy pact, because if he had, Thornwood wouldn't be getting subjected to so many ulcer-inducing defeats this season. The T'birds haven't ducked anyone, but all they have to show for those acts of bravery is a string of close calls that have gone against them. The latest was Sunday's three-point loss to once-beaten Andrew.
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