Hoops: These Boys are Flying High

1. Benet Academy (24-0): The margins of victory keep getting smaller, but the wins keep coming for the Redwings. Last week’s wins clinched their second straight East Suburban Catholic championship.

2. Downers Grove South (20-3): The Mustangs continue to roll, overwhelming Willowbrook and Downers Grove North to make it 13 straight wins. DGS gave up only 46 combined points in the two wins.

3. Neuqua Valley (20-4): The Wildcats recovered from a mid-season lull to win four of their last five games. Avenging their first loss of the year at East Aurora Thursday would give them a great shot at winning the Upstate Eight Valley title.

4. East Aurora (16-5): The Tomcats join the region with this week’s launch of the Montgomery site. UConn-bound Ryan Boatright and company snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Waubonsie Valley Friday.

5. Waubonsie Valley (14-8): The Warriors have lost two of three, but playing in one of the toughest conferences in the suburbs and the Southwest Prairie continuing to beat up on each other gives them the edge for No. 5 on the list.

Next best (in alphabetical order): Hinsdale South (14-8), Naperville North (13-9), Oswego (14-7), Plainfield Central (16-6), Plainfield South (14-6).

(Covering the following Patch communities: Bolingbrook, Channahon-Minooka, Darien, Lemont, Montgomery, Naperville, Oswego, Plainfield, Romeoville, Shorewood, Woodridge, Yorkville and the neighboring private schools that draw students from those communities).