New Jersey (North): Jerusalem (D2)

Power Ranking Trend

Power Ranking By Week
WEEK RECORD RANK COMMENTS
Week 6 3-3 9
Jerusalem lost 61–56 to Amman, but they made the top team earn every possession. Ahmed Elfayoumi had them ready for the Game of the Week spotlight, Mahrooz Qaderi controlled stretches with his pace, and Michael Knight gave them shot-making windows to stay attached. Fares’ struggled offensively but paint presence still matters, but the late-game margin showed up in a few empty trips and missed chances to turn stops into points. Jerusalem is still a tough out — the next step is more efficient closing offense when the game slows down.
Week 5 3-2 7
 
Jerusalem got the response they needed with a 57–44 win over Granada. Mahrooz Qaderi controlled the flow of the game, kept the group organized, and helped bring their defensive identity back to the front. Michael Knight gave them timely shot-making, Ahmed Elfayoumi added important support, and Fares helped anchor the paint with the kind of presence that makes every possession feel contested. After the Mombasa loss, this was a clean reset: less scrambling, more structure, and enough half-court patience to keep Granada from dragging them into an ugly rock fight.
Week 4 2-2 9

Tough loss (61–70 vs. Mombasa), and it highlighted the margin: you can’t win every week off grit alone. Mahrooz Qaderi tried to steer the tempo, and Michael Knight + Mohammad Masri had moments, but Mombasa’s physicality erased second chances and easy paint touches. Jerusalem is still dangerous, but they have to clean up late-game turnovers and manufacture more “easy offense” through Fares to live near the top.
Week 3 2-1 4

Signature win: 79–73 over Cairo, and they earned it with pace + toughness. Sufian Abbasi brought the toasty edge without the butter, and Mahrooz “Point God” Qaderi dictated tempo and got them into the right actions when Cairo started making runs. Michael Knight and Mohammad Masri hit timely shots, and the defensive identity was back — hands active, bodies in the lane, pressure on every catch. Next step: clean up late-game execution so the finish matches the fight.
Week 2 1-1 8

Jerusalem came back to earth in a tight loss to Lahore (64–66), and it showed how thin the margin gets when the offense stalls. They’re at their best when Mahrooz “Point God” Qaderi is controlling tempo, Michael Knight + Mohammad Masri are knocking down clean looks, and Fares is anchoring the paint. To stay near the top, they’ll need more consistent half-court creation — especially late — when the game slows down.
Week 1 1-0 1
 
Jerusalem kicked the door down in the Game of the Week (83–46 over Dhaka). Captain Sufian Abbasi had them locked in from the jump—Mahrooz “Point God” Qaderi controlled the tempo, and Michael Knight + Mohammad Masri knocked down shots to bring that grit-and-grind identity to life. Defensively, they made every catch tough for Ty Jackson and Ian Felix, turned every drive into a crowd, and with Fares anchoring the paint, they looked like a team nobody wants to see late in a close one.
Preseason 0-0 6
A very experienced, gritty, defense-leaning team that makes opponents work for everything. If they can find reliable scoring from Mahrooz Qaderi, plus Michael K’s contribution and the exceptional shooting of Mohammad Masri—especially in the half court—Jerusalem is built to outperform expectations.