The DePaul Prep Rams moved up in the Sun-Times Super 25 today from #6 last week to #4 this week behind #1 Kenwood, #2 Benet and #3 Rich Township. The Rams look to reprise their Super-sectional victory of last year over Crystal Lake South on Monday evening when they face #22 Kaneland High School Knights (32-1, 10-0) at 6:00 p.m., at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates.
On Friday at 3:30 p.m., immediately before the sectional final games were to start, the IHSA issued a statement announcing that Kaneland had been ruled ineligible to participate in the playoffs going forward because it allowed an ineligible player to play in seven games. The player was not identified. However, after an appeal to the IHSA Board, the penalty was commuted to just making the player ineligible and allowing Kaneland to continue participating in the playoffs.
With their gaudy 32-1 record, the Knights then defeated Crystal Lake South 49-37 earning a spot in Monday’s super-sectional against DePaul Prep.
I confess, I never heard of Kaneland High School until this year. Located in Maple Park, Illinois, population 1,478, Maple Park is along the western board of Kane County about halfway between Elburn and DeKalb. I am told that kids from Elburn, where the Metra West line commuter train ends, attend Kaneland.
Kaneland is easternmost school in the Interstate 8 Conference with such schools as Sycamore, LaSalle-Peru, Rochelle, Morris and Ottawa.
The Kaneland sectional championship win over Crystal Lake South is probably its biggest win of the season. Kaneland’s only loss this season came to McHenry in the second game of the season resulting in a 31-game win streak. Kaneland has not played any ranked teams.
Kaneland also boasts some ranked players. Junior 6’0” point guard Marshall Cocroft has garnered some attention. Prep Hoops has him ranked at the 67th best play in the class of 2026. The Knights’ 6’8” sophomore center Jeffrey Hassan is the seventh ranked player in Prep Hoops’ class of 2027. Jeffrey’s brother senior Freddy Hassan lead the Knights on Friday evening against Crystal Lake South with 21 points and 20 rebounds.
DePaul Prep Rams after their 2024 Super-sectional win over Crystal Lake South at the NOW Arena.