Rick Armstrong’s high school boys basketball rankings and player of the week for the Aurora-Elgin area

Oswego East, Waubonsie Valley and Marmion move up. Yorkville Christian enters the rankings.

Top 10

With records through Sunday and previous rankings in parentheses.

1. Kaneland 25-0 (1): Marshawn Cocroft scores 20 points and Connor Kimme chips in with 18 to power the Knights to a 73-68 double overtime win over Sycamore.

2. Oswego 19-8 (2): Niko Jurkovic steps up with 15 points for the Panthers, who cap off 3-0 week with 50-36 win over Minooka.

3. Batavia 18-8 (3): The Bulldogs force 16 turnovers by Quincy in Saturday’s 45-26 win and now are 13-1 in 14 games during the new year.

4. Aurora Christian 18-5 (3): Shorthanded Eagles get 24 points from Jacob Baumann in a 70-54 loss to Bishop McNamara.

5. Oswego East 17-9 (6): Dshaun Bolden scores 15 points to lift the Wolves past Yorkville 69-55 as the battle for second place in the Southwest Prairie West heats up.

6. Geneva 21-5 (5): Nathan Palmer scores 16 points but the Vikings lose 62-43 to rival Batavia.

7. Waubonsie Valley 15-10 (8): Freshman guard T.J. Adams continues to spark the Warriors with eight points and three rebounds in a 47-23 win at DeKalb.

8. Burlington Central 15-10 (4): A rough week for the Rockets includes tough losses to Neuqua Valley 53-44, Cary-Grove 55-47 and Crystal Lake South 63-60.

9. Marmion 15-11 (10): Ali Tharwani returns from two-week layoff and scores 15 points for the Cadets in a 80-73 win over Joliet Catholic.

10. Yorkville Christian 16-9 (NR): Jayden Riley tops 2,000-point mark for his career as the Mustangs roll past Rockford Lutheran 88-56.

Player of the Week

Evan Blankenship, a 6-foot-6 senior forward, comes up with 23 points and 10 rebounds in a 62-43 DuKane Conference win over Geneva. His move to starting lineup over holidays coincides with a surge that sparks the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record in 2026.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/08/rick-armstrong-basketball-rankings-aurora-elgin-2/