Muslim Basketball

A 4-on-4 full-court game is chaos, but Damascus made it look fun. And Husan Zakir? Completely ridiculous. 36 points in Week 1 immediately puts him in POTW conversations. Husan continues to prove he’s one of the best shooters in CNJ, and teams are going to have nightmares trying to guard him this season. Watching him and Iyaad run it back is going to be must-see basketball. Also, keep an eye on young star Shayan Ahmed — he’s coming.

Love seeing the trio of Alaa, Marawan, and Hicham back together. Their chemistry jumps off the screen, and each guy brings something different to the floor. Marawan had a strong 18-point outing while showing off his stretch-big ability, and Abdurahmen stuffed the stat sheet with a double-double plus 3 steals and 3 assists. This roster has talent everywhere, and if they stay healthy and available, they can absolutely make noise this season.

This squad feels like a superteam fusion of Rafah from two seasons ago and last year’s Jenin team — plus some key additions. Shooting, size, ball handling, depth… this roster has everything. The chemistry already looks polished thanks to so many guys having played together before, and it showed in a dominant 20-point win over Kabul. Omar Hussein, an MVP candidate last season, led the way with 15 points, but the balance stood out most. Kareem added 14, while Andrew and Jamall each chipped in 11. Early prediction: this is one of the teams everybody will be chasing.

You could tell this matchup meant something extra for some of these guys facing former teammates. And with a full roster available, Istanbul wasted no time figuring out roles and building chemistry. Captain Usama Ahmed was absolutely unconscious from deep, knocking down 7 threes for 25 points. Meanwhile, Ahmed Kasana controlled the paint with 13 points and 15 rebounds, impacting both ends all game long. Despite trailing at halftime against a four-man squad, Istanbul locked in during the second half and pulled away for the win.

Mattias Arrindell is an absolute problem. 25 points and 15 rebounds to open the season for the back-to-back MVP frontrunner, and he somehow looks even more dangerous this year. Gaza also feels much more balanced overall with Sami Butt back to ease the offensive load and Mohamed Kamel holding things down inside. Huge statement win over Jerusalem to start the year. If this team keeps building chemistry, they’re going to be scary.

Omar “Lil O” Abbassi really said, “I’m back.” And what better way to announce it than with a Week 1 game-winner? With 5 seconds left, Omar delivered the clutch bucket to seal a hard-fought win over Cairo. Experience showed late, and Granada leaned on it when it mattered most. Towfeek was also in full takeover mode, dropping 27 points and hitting the huge game-tying bucket late in regulation. This backcourt duo is going to be a problem all season long, and there are already a few teams circling this matchup on the schedule.

ALEX LORENZO. That’s it. That’s the headline. ROTY, All-Star, MVP talks already loading after an insane debut. Alex dropped 31 points while shooting 50% from deep and looked every bit like the newest superstar in Cairo’s massive offseason rebuild. Mezi’s squad clearly found a weapon. The new additions didn’t stop there either. Musaab Mahmoud put together a super efficient double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Mustafa Brown’s smooth handle and composure added another 10 points to the mix. Cairo controlled large stretches of the game against Granada, but late-game execution cost them in the final moments. Even with the loss, this squad looks dangerous, moving forward. Huge overhaul, huge potential.

Big Moose and company had a huge Week 1 test against Gaza but couldn’t quite get it done. A brutal shooting outing from three — just 13% — completely changed the game. Still, it was great seeing Abdullah (formerly Sheff Doola) back in action replacing Todd. He picked right back up where he left off two seasons ago with crafty finishes and aggressive drives to the rim. Nobody should panic about Jerusalem. This is still a squad that’s made consecutive championship appearances, and they’ll be right there again.

The former Al-Khalil squad is back, and Khalil clearly spent the offseason recruiting. Adding Ronny should finally address the big-man issues that haunted this team in past seasons, while Elias gives Elton some much-needed support offensively. Week 1 didn’t go as planned, but playing with only four guys against a full squad is never ideal. Still, the scoring was balanced, with Ronny and Elton leading the way with 17 and 15 points. Once the full roster is available, Beirut should look much more like the team they envisioned heading into the season.

The free-agent squad is back after an impressive run last season, and Hassan Saleh returns as captain with some familiar weapons alongside him. Akshay and both Hishams are back in the mix, but Week 1 was a tough matchup against one of the league’s powerhouse teams. Akshay still impressed with 21 points, flashing both shooting touch and post-game versatility. Don’t be surprised if Kabul runs much of the offense through him moving forward. Getting Hashim Rahman back next week should also give this team a big boost.

Welcome to MB. Sometimes the welcome gift is a 30-point blowout. Tough opener for a new squad still figuring things out, but that’s part of the process. Rizwan Khan was the bright spot with 16 points and already looks like the go-to guy offensively. There’s talent here — now it’s about settling in and adjusting to the league.

On the other side of that 4-on-4 battle, Amman was missing major firepower. No Anas and no Aidan — two of the best players in CNJ — makes life difficult for any squad. Even with the absences, Omar Abuattieh and Mahmoud stepped up with 18 and 24 points respectively. The biggest issue was size and defense, especially against Damascus’ length. Once the roster is fully available, this team should look much more competitive.

Shoutout to Mairaj for still trying to get a scrimmage together after the forfeit. Respect.

Starting the season with a forfeit is rough… but this is still a former championship squad. Nobody’s writing them off after Week 1.