A little late to the party, but we’re back and running — Alhamdulillah — for the Summer 2025 season of Muslim Basketball.

Yes, I know I missed Week 1 — my apologies. But hey, based on some of the box scores I saw, a few brothers left their jumpers at home last week too, so cut me some slack lol.
Before we dive into the action, let’s take a moment to remember what truly matters. This season, and every season, our hearts and prayers remain with the people of Palestine. While we gather here to hoop and compete, our brothers and sisters are facing unimaginable hardships. Let us not lose sight of that. May Allah grant victory, mercy, and justice to the people of Palestine and all those suffering across the Ummah.
This league is more than basketball. It’s a community. Its purpose. It’s for the culture, and most importantly, the Ummah.
Now, let’s talk about hoops.

Baysan vs Jerusalem (Monday Game)
Captain Sufian surely has his hands full with the personalities on this roster. They were without Zain in week one, and I do believe that played a large part in their lack of ball movement and efficiency. This team certainly does not lack talent, but again, the personalities need to mesh, and egos need to be left at home in order for them to reach their potential. The biggest x factor for this team will be Omar Singer. If he can control the pace of the game and pick his spots, Jerusalem will be tough to match up with.

As for Baysan, free-throw merchant Aadil will look to lead his team to a 2-0 start with a strong support cast of Adeeb, Moe Rayyan, and Big Sal. Sal and Zain is a fun matchup to keep our eyes on. If Moe Rayyan and Adeeb knock down their 3s at an efficient clip, Baysan will run away with this one.

Baysan by 9.

Nazareth vs Khan Yunis

A Musa Yanes led team near the bottom in defense? Yeah… that probably won’t last long.
Khan Yunis played with a ton of heart and intensity last week, clawing their way back from a 15-point deficit in what was easily my favorite game to watch. Moayad is going to be the key to this team’s success; his ability to control pace and make plays in big moments takes a lot of pressure off Moose.
Speaking of Big Moose, the shot wasn’t falling consistently last week (just 35% from the field), but he still put up 23 points, 15 boards, and 5 assists. Expect a similar stat line this week, but with a much better shooting clip.
We haven't seen Nazareth take the floor yet, but year signs suggest that Captain Shafic built this roster with one criteria in mind: must be over 6 feet tall. While it's not a bad thing, the lack of a secondary ball handler is going to be a problem, especially when Shafic is in foul trouble or taking a breather. The spacing doesn’t look great on paper, and unless someone steps up as a reliable playmaker, this offense could stall out. Ali Sufian will need to have a great season for this squad to have any hope of competing.
Wouldn’t be shocked if a trade is on the horizon. I hope to be proven wrong, but time will tell with this squad.

Khan Yunis by 11

Sheikh Jarrah vs Areeha

An impressive near 20-point win from Areeha proved that age is just a number.
When five players score in double figures, you know the basketball was moving — and the knees were aching. Ice packs and Advil were absolutely part of the postgame recovery plan. Even though they didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, their ball movement was elite.
Sheikh Jarrah, on the other hand, only lost their game by 7 despite being out-rebounded 43 to 19, which is wild. That rebounding margin alone usually spells a blowout, but they managed to keep it close.
The matchup to watch here is Big O vs. Mahrooz — two veterans who know how to work the paint. I expect Big O to hold his ground, and that battle could swing the momentum one way or the other.
The real story of this game, though, will be the outside shooting. Whichever team gets hot early will likely carry that momentum the rest of the way. Mo Masri had a solid showing last week, and I’d expect another steady performance from him again in this one.

Sheikh Jarrah by 8

Jenin vs Gaza

My very early favorites to make a strong playoff push — if not win the whole thing — are Gaza.

Coming off a great team win, with 4 of its 8 players scoring 10+ points, including a triple-double by Khaled Musbeh and a solid showing from Mahdy once again…I fully expect him to shoot much better from deep than he did last week — but hey, it was Week 1, so we’ll let it slide.
Jenin is coming off a game where they were missing their best player, Ali Hassan, but he can’t play defense for the entire team. That’s the biggest concern moving forward with this squad. Offensively, they didn’t look too bad without one of the league’s top scorers. Ameer Koyas had a quietly impressive night with 16 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists, but the real question lies in the backcourt. Anas Najib and Ali will need to elevate their guard play if Areeha wants to be competitive throughout this season, which they are more than capable of doing.
I think they’ll need a week or two to figure things out with both of their star guards still getting used to each other. It will be interesting to see who will be playing more off the ball. I'll ultimately give this one to Gaza.
Gaza by 14



Haifa vs Deir Al-Balah

This matchup features two teams that showed a lot of promise in Week 1. Haifa came out strong and looked like they were in control early, but let the game slip away late against Khan Yunis. Still, there’s no denying the upside of this roster. Capone and Anas Zubi already look like one of the best backcourts in the league. Both can score at all three levels, and both looked comfortable handling the offense. It’s rare to have two MVP-level players on the same roster who can coexist, but so far, they seem to complement each other well.
The X-factor of this game will be Khalid Saleh. He didn’t have his best performance in Week 1, but his presence will be much more important in this matchup, especially with Omar Mana patrolling the paint for Deir Al-Balah. Khalid’s ability to hold his own inside and keep Mana off the boards will determine how the rest of this game goes.
Very much so, expect Ehsan to have another great shooting game, and Elias to be a pest against Anas and/or Capone. I think Haifa gets a slight lead early and holds off until the end, learning from last week.
Haifa by 6

Bir Seb’a vs Rafah

It's a Chabaane matchup! They’ll probably come to the game together, but who knows if they'll go home with one another….. regardless of how this one ends, one Chabaane is going home a winner — and one’s going home with excuses.
Rafah had a solid first half last week against Gaza, showing some real promise early on. But once the second half started, the wheels came off. The energy dropped, the defense faded, and Gaza took full control. The lone bright spot for Rafah last week was Hassan C, of course, who showed some real fight and tried to keep them in it. If this team wants to bounce back in Week 2, Ali Mahin, Zubidi, and Jojo will need to step up. Rafah has talent, but effort and consistency are a must.
On the other side, Bir Seb’a has yet to make their debut as of this write-up. But on paper, this is very solid. With a big three of Ahmad, Lil O, and Hassan Farhat, they’ve got the potential for both high-level defense and floor spacing. Of course, chemistry remains to be seen — but from a skillset standpoint, I believe these three complement each other extremely well. If they’re in sync from the jump, this is a squad that could surprise a lot of people.
Bir Seb’a by 4


Yaffa vs Safed

Coming off… whatever that was last week, Yaffa is looking for a much-needed bounce-back.
They didn’t play their best basketball in Week 1, and thankfully, they won’t have to deal with Omar Mana again. Week 2 grants Shahzaib and a big physical Safed team.
The matchup between Amir and Shahzaib should be a fun one — two skilled guards who can create their offense in two much-needed teams. If Yaffa wants any shot at winning, they’ll need more than just Amir, though. That’s the problem right now: who else is going to step up and score? You can’t win many games shooting 24.6% from the field, 16.0% from three, and 60% from the line.
Size is another glaring concern for Yaffa. Safad is just as big as Deir Al-Balah, if not bigger, and they’re coming off a gritty win led by Moazam, who looked sharp and will continue to do so against a much smaller squad.
I do ultimately think the game will stay close, but not necessarily because of great defense, but more because both teams struggle to shoot consistently. In the end, I think Safad’s rebounding and second-chance points will be the difference maker.
Safad by 8

Until next week, hope y'all enjoyed predictions, let me know what you think!! I go by TheBrokenOne
#StriveForAchiness
#OpenTheVault

Edited by user Monday, June 2, 2025 4:11:28 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified