AssalamuAlaykum wa Rahmatullah,

As always, these predictions begin by remembering our brothers and sisters that are being oppressed around the world and need our help. This league’s core values are all about building brotherhood and that stems from our Islamic beliefs that all Muslims are brothers. The people in Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, Kashmir and other places around the world are suffering and as Muslims we should all feel the pain in our hearts for our brothers and sisters. If you are unable to donate, do not hesitate to spread awareness on these situations, continue to be a voice for the voiceless and most of all, remember them in your Dua.

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As the season wanes, we look ahead to the week 8 predictions. This is always the best time of the season as teams now look to the playoffs and try to compete for seeding once it’s win and advance. This past week resulted in a decent shift in the rankings, and there are a lot of teams that are neck and neck at this point in the season. Many teams came to play and made sure to prove themselves as real contenders, specifically Ramla and Al-Quds. More on that later.

the standings for predictions:

Towfeek: 42 - 21

Crystal Ball: 41 - 22

Hassan: 35 - 19 (didn’t predict week 1)

Omar: 40 - 23

Special Week 7 guest round

Omar: 6-3

Khaled: 6-3

Elias: 6-3

Towfeek: 5-4

Crystal Ball: 4-5

Hassan: 2-7


Looking into the Crystal Ball…

Safad - Gaza:

First game of the week looks to be a pretty solid matchup. Two teams coming off wins, although one was a lot closer than the other. I will say, Qibya is not a team that goes out easy and they have kept it close with many good teams, so Safad’s win is definitely still a positive. Both these teams have the same record, which is even more of a reason to be interested. Safad is back on a winning streak and they’ll look to keep that going, behind their strong starting 5 that has hustle, playmaking and veteran intangibles written all over it. Islam and Fursan have great chemistry, Jawad is able to create his own shot, Raied is a crazy hustle guy that feeds off second chance points, and Ali Sufaian is a scorer, specifically in the mid range and around the block. This team should not be underestimated and continues to look to prove that they can beat some of the top teams.

Gaza finally got a win after the loss to Joe Capone, and this one was pretty convincing. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome newcomer Mahrooz Qaderi back to the league. Man was reported missing but is now clearly playing at a high level in this league. They will need that every week if they are looking to maintain their status as one of the top teams, which they certainly were when Joe was around. Johnny Wiz, Omar Singer, Mo Dirty, Salman Ilyas, Elsamna and the minds of the dynamic duo, Ammar and Kareem. This team definitely has what it takes to make a deep run. Next stop is Safad on their path to making a claim for themselves heading into the postseason.

Gaza by 12

Nablus - Qibya:

For the first time this season, Ty Jackson was extremely pedestrian. What looked like a one and box(around Ty Jackson) seemed to be just the recipe to stop this Nablus “high-powered” offense. All of a sudden, this team has lost two straight and sits in the middle of the pack. I think they definitely have to think about making adjustments to the game plan when teams focus on Ty that heavily. Maybe he can play off the ball and not bring the ball up as there are a few other good ball handlers on the team in the Zubi brothers.

Its looking rough for this Qibya squad. Just when you want to put hope into them and believe they’ll make it through, they don't. This obviously leaves a bad taste in the mouth and is not something that can be seen as hopeful circumstances as we look into the future. It definitely is frustrating considering thai team is pretty well rounded and definitely has enough talent to win at least 1 or 2 games up to this point. Regardless, they will have to be up to the task of stopping Ty Jackson, and then have to worry about the talented role players from the Nablus side.

Nablus by 10

Bethlehem - Qalqilya:
Well if anyone’s wondering what game will be the most intense, the Crystal Ball is predicting it will be this one. These two teams are both 5-2, and there are plenty of familiar faces on both sides. On the Bethlehem side, Hassan and Mahdy have been putting a stamp on the claim that they are one of the best duos in the league, and this week will be their toughest test to date. There are also some good supporting cast members on this Bethlehem squad that are not afraid to get their hands dirty. Omar Sehwail, Ahmad Chaabane, and Ahmad Abid all play hard and tro to have a winning mentality.

On the Qalqilya side, things have not looked the same this season compared to this time last year. This is an important game for this team to get back on track the right way come Wednesday. Standing in front of them is a 5-2 team that definitely wants to make a statement and win the game. They will need their best players to play great and lead the way, and they will need their role players to supply energy and find their areas to score the basketball as well. Get ready for an entertaining matchup.

Qalqilya by 8

Shatila - Al-Quds:
Man, Farhad’s back is definitely taking a toll up to this point. There are games where the rest of the Shatila squad have definitely contributed and those are usually the games they have competed in and even won. The problem for this team is when they go up against a team that outmatches them talent-wise, because they do not have the athleticism to make up for that. This leads to Farhad being forced to play more of an isolation style and go for hero ball. This also means that their defense will have trouble because skilled players will have their way with the less efficient defenders on this squad. Hopefully this week there is a spark for the team to really hone in on the defensive side and make this a competitive matchup.

Al-Quds is on a rolllll. Putting up 90 points is impressive in these settings and in that gym. Yes, Sabra was without one supermax contract for a half and the other didn't even show up. Maybe Weiss and Himey had a little deal before the game? Maybe Pete Brown believes in load management and wanted to take a week off to rest. Either way, Al-Quds came to play and they definitely did so. At the end of the day, Raza, Mo Masri, Sadat, Mo Deek are no scrubs and dominating them is just as impressive. I expect more of the same this week.

Al-Quds by 17

Areeha - Haifa:

Ok, Areeha scored 73 points last week which was very surprising but also very impressive to see. They have a very methodical offense that will plow its way through teams that are unprepared and when they are moving the ball well, they always find themselves in the thick of things or completely cruising. They must continue to have less of a ball dominant approach and they should be ok to win or at least compete in the last two weeks of the season.

Haifa is looking like a trainwreck at this point in the season. What was thought to be a promising team with a lot of high quality pieces has turned into a team that does not look comfortable playing together week in and week out. Realistically, Kareem Ahmed has done what he can to this point and has carried his part of the load. Omar Qasem, Omar Hussein, and Muhanad Deeb all have to contribute more for this team to succeed. Contributions also don’t have to be shot attempts as good passing, rebounding, good defense, running the court with teammates are all ways someone can have an imprint on the basketball game. This is a week where things can turn around for them and I think this is their last chance at hope before playoffs come around.

Haifa by 3

Al-Wehdat - Baysan

Al-Wehdat continues to be a complete roller coaster situation. I have never seen a team with so many ups and downs this late into the season. They have been unable to show up with a consistent lineup and I still don't know if I can tell you what their starting 5 is. Regardless, they are a team that has talent and they deserve some respect for the sole fact that they are pretty much .500 with all the problems they’ve had in terms of people actually showing up. Also, Keon and Corey are another great duo that will probably work together to keep them in every game they play. I see this team as having a lot of potential.

Baysan is an extremely formidable opponent no matter what week it is. Last week, they were without their only ball handler Sohaib, and it really showed how much he brings to the table. Without his ball handling, Baysan did not look the same as the offense was much more stagnant and it was difficult to find someone who can create shots other than Zain. With that being said, Jared was still a force and they dragged the game all the way into 2 OT which was partially their fault as they sort of had things under control for most of the game down the stretch. I think this team is extremely tough to bet against when they are at full power, which I am assuming is the case this week. They should be able to take care of things handily and get back to their winning ways.

Baysan by 10

Jenin - Al-Khalil:

So Jenin is on a 2 game winning streak and I’m personally all here for it. This team is definitely talented enough to get the job done against most teams, and I have been saying this since the start of the season. It is good that they have had a few winnable weeks in a row and that continues this week. As mentioned earlier, the most important thing for these guys is to continue to work the ball around and spread the love. They will be strongest when all the guys contribute offensively and I think they are starting to figure that out as well. I really like how much Jake has brought to this team and he and Ian have given this team some leadership and a path to success.

I don’t want to keep putting Al-Khalil down because they are showing up and definitely trying to work hard. It is hard to say where this team can improve realistically, but I think this is definitely a game they are capable of winning. Right now, they are on the outside looking in and are tied with Haifa for the last playoff spot. This team would definitely be a disappointment if they were unable to make the playoffs altogether, so I think that is something they should definitely work hard towards as the season is coming to a close.

Both teams are near the bottom of the rankings and are fighting to be in the playoffs. This one will be fun to watch.

Jenin by 6

Sabra - Al-Bireh:

This is a contender for game of the week as we get to see two teams with completely different styles face off at 9:30. Both teams also have great records and also have wins against some impressive teams so far. Sabra just took their first loss last week but they were without Pete Brown, who is easily their best player after we saw what they looked like without him last week. It is really interesting to see how the combination of Austin and Pete is necessary for dominance because having just one of them there was simply not enough. Austin also had a poor shooting night and he has not looked as polished as he has been before, so it will be interesting to see if he can gain that back before playoffs.

Al-Bireh is back at full strength and will be looking to give the once undefeated their second straight loss. As we know, with Sabra at a full team, that will be hard to do. Now, I do think they have what it takes, which I believe to be guys who can stretch the floor but also have consistent guard play. If the ball is spread around in the zone and they are able to knock down shots, they will definitely have a shot at winning this one.

Sabra by 7


Ramla - Yaffa:

Ramla is looking to capitalize off of a huge win last week and they definitely want to keep the trajectory the same. They can now be considered one of the top teams and the trio of Mana, Hassan Farhat and Shahzaib. Elias, Khaled, Ahmad Sehwail and Ahmad Saleh are also great complementary pieces that are a big reason this team has plenty of success. Their size will be an issue for the fast moving Yaffa squad.

Yaffa is on fire right now, their hot shooting has gotten them this far and will be much needed in this game. MP and Ehsan are coming off a great shooting game and that will be necessary again this week if they are looking to come home with the dub without AMP. They will be without him again, but they’ve been able to get through Nablus just last week without him so they can still compete at a high level regardless. Honestly, they’ve been on an impressive run and gained some confidence in the past few weeks. This would be the best time to play a team like Ramla.

The last candidate for game of the week is this game as it is a showdown between two teams that are really hot. Can shorthanded Yaffa come out with another dub against Ramla, who is now considered near the top of the leaderboard?

Ramla by 9

As always, this ain’t Lonzo Ball, this ain’t Lavar Ball, this is the Crystal Ball

Edited by user Tuesday, January 30, 2024 7:27:47 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified